Cost of Revenge: Lost
by Captain Anon
Summary: The invasion of Earth has begun, with Tommy at the helm. He finds his new role is a bit more complicated than he thought, and with the bomb Kim dropped on him, how will the green ranger handle it all? Part II in the Cost of Revenge Series. Dark AU MMPR.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note:** And here we are with part II of the series! Took awhile to get out, but it's *technically* still December. :D Please read and review. All feedback is appreciated. :) HUGE thank you to my beta, pyscochick32, for being amazingly awesome, thorough and patient while helping me with this._

_WARNING: If you have not read Cost of Revenge: Control before reading this, you will be SO lost, LOL. So please read that before starting this one if you haven't already. It's worth it._

_Now without further ado, onto the fic!_

* * *

**Parc du Champ de Mars**

**Paris, France**

**Five days later, Thursday**

**Local time, 1:03 PM**

"Aw, _shit_."

Tommy dropped quickly to the ground, hands covering his head as a large missile flew over his lean form, colliding with a tree behind him and setting it on fire. The green ranger scrambled to his feet, running quickly to the far left leg of the Eiffel Tower.

He peeked around the corner, only to turn back right away when a spray of bullets came his way.

"Fuck," he muttered. "Come on, Tommy…"

Thinking quickly, he ran out from under the large monument, rolling on the ground to pick up a machine gun from the hands of a dead French soldier nearby before crawling over behind a nearby bench. He turned around, firing at the enemy. Once he saw they were dead, he called his soldiers over the comm-link.

"All right, listen up. Alpha team, secure the perimeter. No one is to enter the red zones, and I want a man at every corner, every port entry, every manhole along the target area – do _not_ let them in. Beta and Gamma teams, continue to your targets. You should be safe with your cloaking devices. Remember, we are not trying to harm them, just keep them detained."

He paused when a loud explosion sounded behind him, shaking the ground beneath his feet.

"All other units hold their defenses at bay. We need to keep their military occupied while Beta and Gamma make their way to their targets. Theta team, maintain aerial coverage over all other units. Diversion is a go. Oliver out."

Tommy winced when a car nearby exploded into flames, and he glared menacingly at the tank rolling his way. The turret of the machine turned slowly to him, locking on his body.

As fast as he could, he teleported away, rematerializing at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Down below, he could make out a scorch mark on the ground where he had been standing.

"They were _really_ trying to kill me… fuckers," he snarled as he brought his Dragon dagger to the mouth of his helmet.

Channeling his energy, Tommy played the familiar tune, summoning his Dragonzord out of the Seine River, and he grinned when the large machine made its way towards him.

The soldiers and tanks on the ground converged on the Dragonzord immediately, firing rapidly at the approaching machine. The zord gave a loud roar as it shot missiles from its fingertips, clearing a path to the green ranger. When the Dragonzord was close enough, Tommy jumped onto its shoulder.

He held his dagger in his hands like a gun, bringing the handle up so it was in line with his visor. He closed his left eye, playfully shooting at the people below in time with the missiles from his zord. He laughed when vehicles and bodies flew in the air from the explosions.

"Status report?" he called inside his helmet, aiming his dagger at a group of soldiers that were trying to sneak up on him from behind. The tail of the Dragonzord swung out, pushing the soldiers into the river.

"**Two hundred yards and closing, Commander**,"said Kronon, his top general.

"Excellent." The green ranger sat down on the Dragonzord's shoulder, waving his dagger in the air as if he were conducting an orchestra. He timed his movements with his zord, and chuckled at the visual.

A missile hit the Dragonzord, a few feet below where Tommy sat. He was nearly thrown off, forcing the teen to grab on tightly. His eyes flashed green when he caught sight of the jets circling him overhead.

"That's how you wanna play? Fine… I'll end this now."

Tommy pressed the side button on his dagger, and the chest plate of the Dragonzord extended forward. The green ranger jumped into the small crevice, fitting into the human-shaped imprint in the mesh-like substance that was there. Once he was inside, the chest plate closed, locking him into place.

Closing his eyes, Tommy concentrated on channeling his powers outward from his limbs and the small chamber filled with a green glow.

One of the upgrades Finster made to his Dragonzord was allowing him to control the Dragonzord directly. Given that the zord was powered by the energy of the green ranger, Finster devised a way for Tommy to directly channel his energy into the Dragonzord, linking him and the zord together to form one body.

Tommy assumed a fighter's stance, and from how the Dragonzord shifted, he presumed it had the same stance as well. He reached up, plucking two of the jets from the air and throwing the down hard into the ground. He grabbed a tank by its turret next, swinging it around in the air to crash into the other jets, sending them into the river.

Foot soldiers continued shooting at the Dragonzord, annoying the green ranger. Tommy grabbed the top of the Eiffel Tower, bending and twisting the metallic structure until it snapped off, and he used the broken piece to swat at the soldiers below.

The green ranger grunted when he felt tapping at the back of his zord, and he turned to come face to face with a barricade of tanks and SUVs several yards down Quai Branly. Tommy grinned, letting out a loud whoop as he ran full speed at the blockade before doing a baseball slide into the defensive line, crushing several bodies and destroying everything in sight.

Tommy climbed to his feet, scowling as he looked down the Dragonzord's scratched body.

"Dammit… I _just_ painted this thing…"

Loud beeping in his left ear caught his attention. "Status?"

"**This is Gamma team. We've reached the target. Beta team has secured their target as well. We are standing by for your order, Commander.**"

Tommy shot at an approaching tank, leaving a scorch mark in its wake. He switched his weapon from missiles to a flamethrower, covering the surrounding area in a wall of flames.

"Beta and Gamma team, secure the hostages. This is a peaceful overthrow." He paused, reflecting on the irony of that statement. "Interpret as you will, but there must be no casualties when you invade the palaces. Theta team, be on the lookout for fighter jets. Oliver out."

The Dragonzord shook from a powerful blast to its side. Tommy turned, surprised to see a warship shooting at him from the Seine River. Further out towards the English Channel, Tommy could see several other warships headed his way and more tanks on the surrounding roads.

"Where the _hell_ did you come from?" he asked himself aloud.

He walked the Dragonzord into the river, clenching his fists as he focused on channeling his energy through his body. The eyes of the Dragonzord glowed bright green, and its hands aimed downward as a several tiny balls of energy shot out, steadily increasing in brightness. He waited until the orbs were nearly blinding before throwing them towards the ships so that they landed at different spots along the river.

Tommy raised the arms of the Dragonzord high before bringing them down quickly, causing the balls of energy to explode. The explosions destroyed the warships, leaving scraps of charred metal floating in the river. Along the banks, tanks were overturned and sticking out of nearby buildings. Using his powers, Tommy sent a powerful blast into the water, raising a tall wave and sending it down the river. He smiled when he saw the water took the now decimated French military and weapons with it.

"**We have the hostages, Commander.**"

'_Sweet, now it's my turn.'_

"Good, hold your positions. Alpha team in the southern red zone, maintain the perimeter. Alpha two in the northern sector, I'm on my way to the third target. Make sure my path is clear."

He directed his next orders to the zord. "Computer, set the Dragonzord to defensive mode. I want anything attacking it to be destroyed. Deactivation will only come from manual override."

There was a pause. "_Understood._"

He powered down and the chest plate pushed outward, giving him room to climb out. The green ranger carefully made his way out of the Dragonzord, teleporting to the ground once he was able to view the area below him.

The first thing to hit him while standing on the bank of the Seine River was the amount of smoke in the air, and he coughed slightly from the sting in his throat.

"Shit…"

He looked around curiously; he was somewhat surprised to find he was the only living thing in the immediate vicinity.

"Really? I thought there would at least be more of a fight… how disappointing..."

'_With how quickly everyone was to oppose the empire and the invasion, you'd think they'd have better defenses.'_

The response to his announcement of the invasion was a resounding "Fuck You" from the leaders of Earth. Hundreds of broadcasts went out from the leaders of Earth to their respective countries about how they would never give in to the hands of Lord Zedd.

'_They don't even understand what an improvement this would be… Lord Zedd controls over thirty planets across the universe almost seamlessly with better employment and less crime, and these bastards can't even run one damn country without sending shit to hell. Idiots.'_

Their talk was all a bunch of bullshit anyway as far as Tommy was concerned. Globally, the Dark Empire had already taken over two of the ten cities they attacked in three days. With the fall of Paris, it would be three. The other seven were on their way to collapse any day now.

'_Maybe they thought the power rangers would rescue them. All this bravado from the so-called leaders of Earth, and yet they still depend on five teenagers in spandex to save the day. Now they just look like fools because the power rangers are in no position to help them. Pathetic.'_

Tommy sighed, hands on his hips as he contemplated his next move.

Beta and Gamma teams had successfully secured _Palais Bourbon_ and _Palais du Luxembourg_, gaining control over the entire French Parliament. He just needed to make his way over to _Palais de l'Élysée _to find the President.

Tommy spotted a slow-moving soldier nearby, body half blown away by one of the explosions. He made his way over to him, turning the man onto his back. Tommy quickly stripped the man of his weapons, strapping the assault rifle to his back and removing the M9 pistol from its holder. He checked the guns for bullets, pleased to find several still there. Checking the soldier's pockets and pack nearby, he found several clips inside as well as a Swiss army knife.

"Always wanted one of these…" mumbled Tommy as he grabbed the pack.

He stood slowly, stretching the muscles in his neck. He was startled to see the nameless soldier staring up at him wide-eyed, blood dripping from his lips.

Disgusted, Tommy grabbed the pistol, pointing the barrel at the soldier.

"The President… he's over there, right?" asked Tommy as he inclined his head across the river.

The soldier said nothing, breathing shallowly.

"God dammit..." Tommy swore when he saw the life slowly draining from the soldier's gray eyes.

'_I have to meet with Kim tonight… I don't have time for delays.'_

Tommy pulled the trigger, leaving a smoking hole in the soldier's forehead.

"I'll find him myself."

* * *

**Lunar Palace**

**Throne Room**

**The Moon**

**Local time, unknown**

Tommy tied the drawstrings of his black sweatpants, his bare feet resting on the cool stone floor. His gray wifebeater clung to his slightly damp form. He had had to rush his shower in order to make the council meeting on time.

The green ranger gathered his folders off his desk, checking through them to make sure everything was in order. The last thing he needed was for Rygog to bring up something he wasn't prepared for in hopes of embarrassing him in front of the council.

The teen grabbed a pair of black socks from his dresser, slipping them over his feet. It still amazed him that he even had a dresser to call his own. Thanks to the room upgrade he received from becoming commander, Tommy was living in the lap of luxury in the upper level of the Lunar Palace.

The change in rank moved Tommy from his prison cell room to an apartment within the palace. In the back of his living space, his once too-small bed was now king-sized, covered in black silk sheets and numerous large fluffy pillows. His room had what Scorpina described as a Phaedosian theme, a mixture of black, silver, and green. Tommy's wall was covered with various weapons, including a Bo staff, a set of nunchucks, and a warscythe. The front section of his room had a large leather couch and matching loveseat, coffee table, and panther-skin rug. The combination of low lighting and the glow from the Earth outside his window gave him room an almost eerie glow.

He couldn't have asked for a better room. _'Wish Kim could see it… maybe we could break the bed in…' _

Tommy grabbed a shirt as he left his quarters, heading directly for the throne room while shrugging on the fitted long-sleeved green t-shirt. The cool air made him shiver, and he wished he had brought his jacket along with him.

Tommy took the seat at Zedd's throne, shifting uncomfortably at the rigidity of the structure. He was forced to sit up straight, something he wasn't used to doing, and it made him squirm.

A soft chuckle beside him hit his ears. "Would you stop it? You're like a child."

Tommy scowled at Scorpina. "Have you ever sat in this chair? It's like sitting on a rock."

She tilted her head to the side with a small smile. "It _is_ a rock, Commander."

He looked up at her, eyes narrowed. "Shut up."

"I hope that isn't how your commander always speaks to you, Scorpina." Rygog came from out of the shadows, red eyes glowing ominously.

Tommy's eyes flashed green in annoyance, and Scorpina simply shook her head. "_Commander_ Oliver and I share a mutual respect for one another. Please do not misinterpret what is mere teasing as disrespect, _lieutenant_."

Tommy grinned at the way Scorpina unnecessarily stressed their titles, causing the general to flinch.

"Very well," hissed Rygog as he took his seat.

'_Yeah… sit your ugly ass down…'_ thought Tommy irritably.

The other generals filed into the large room, taking their seats around the table. Scorpina sat to Tommy's right.

"Now that we have everyone in attendance, the meeting can begin," said Tommy.

"With the fall of Paris today, three of Earth's most populated cities have fallen. Buenos Aires and Delhi are under tight control, and my army has successfully captured the leaders of Paris."

"What about the other cities?" interrupted Rygog.

Tommy cut his eyes at the ugly creature. "The rule, as you well know, Rygog, is that you only speak when addressed. As I did not call on you to speak, you will be ignored."

The tension in the room heightened, and the green ranger forced a smile onto his young face, purposefully ignoring Rygog's incensed stare.

"Now, as I was saying, the fall of those cities have undoubtedly put the rest of the Earth's leaders in a state of panic. When the other seven fall, we will have them right where we want them."

He leaned forward, hands resting under his chin. "What is the status of the other cities? Beijing?"

General Divatox cleared her throat. "Beijing should be under control in the next 48 hours. Their defenses have strengthened due to news of what happened in Delhi, but it will be of little consequence."

Tommy nodded. "Excellent. Istanbul?"

"Will be ours tomorrow night at the latest," said General Elgar.

"Seoul?"

"Seoul will fall in the morning. Their defenses will be completely overrun by sunset," informed General Darkonda.

"Lagos?"

"Three hours," said General Havoc with an arrogant shrug. "My soldiers are storming the Lagos Government Areas as we speak."

The green ranger resisted the urge to roll his eyes; he didn't particularly care for Havoc. _'Arrogant bastard.'_

"Moscow?"

General Hexuba sighed, arms crossed over her chest. "We are having difficulty with the terrain in this climate."

Tommy's gaze was fixed on her oddly shaped body, and he jumped slightly when he felt Scorpina's tail zap him lightly on the thigh underneath the table.

"What do you mean?" he asked, forcing his eyes to stay level with her face.

"The cold is not good for the soldiers. Many of them are unable to function; their bodies go into hibernation during battle."

Tommy raised an eyebrow, confused by this piece of information. "Are they lizards or something?"

Scorpina cleared her throat. "The soldiers in her army are similar in physiology to some cold-blooded creatures you would find on Earth, like lizards."

His eyes widened. "Oh… how much damage have you suffered due to this problem?"

"So far, very little. It is coldest at night, and luckily, we've only been fighting during the day – my guess is that their soldiers cannot handle the bitter conditions. The enemy has yet to figure out why we don't attack when it's dark, but I would expect them to figure it out soon. If they begin to attack at night, this could prove detrimental to the invasion."

The green ranger stroked his chin in thought. "There needs to be a switch between your soldiers and those on reserve. Set up a rendezvous point with one of the carrier ships – Piranhatrons would probably be good to use instead. Trade them out while your soldiers are still mobile. They can be transported to a warmer climate instead and utilized there."

Hexuba nodded. "I will make arrangements following the meeting."

"Good. New York City?"

Scorpina's black nails tapped along the table surface. "General Ransick was unable to make the council meeting as he is in battle. He reported that the city should be in our control by the end of next week."

Tommy frowned. The plan was to have the ten cities under the Dark Empire's control in two weeks. Ransick was pushing it. The green ranger made a mental note to talk to the general when he was available.

"Los Angeles?"

Rygog sat forward, eyes narrowed dangerously. "It would appear that my team will need until the end of next week as well."

The teen smirked. "Is the task too difficult for you?" he asked cheekily.

"I'm sure we _all_ find it difficult to have an invasion with no civilian deaths," hissed the hideous creature.

Murmurs around the table rose from Rygog's statement, mostly in agreement.

"I find it convenient that an invasion led by a human against his own people is supposed to be _peaceful_," spit out Rygog.

All eyes turned to Tommy.

"Is there something that concerns you, lieutenant?" asked Tommy in what he hoped was a neutral tone.

"No, sir. Just making an observation, if you will." He grinned at Tommy, his sharp yellow teeth visible.

Tommy's eyes flashed in anger. "If you have a problem with that order, I'm sure you can take it up with our emperor given that _he_ is the one that gave it."

Rygog growled. "So you tell us."

'_Are you going to take that, Oliver?' _hissed a voice in his head. _'Put him in his place.'_

The green ranger clenched his fist tightly in anger, voice cool as he spoke. "Lieutenant Rygog, need I remind you that I am your commander? Whatever your personal feelings are towards me, the fact remains that you are my subordinate. Continue to talk to me this way and I will strip you of your rank. Am I understood?"

The room was filled with a heavy silence, and Tommy could feel the eyes of the surrounding generals on him.

"Yes, sir," said Rygog tersely.

"Good." Tommy turned back to the other generals. "We are staying with the original plan. I will head out to Berlin tomorrow. The troops in Buenos Aires are to move to Sao Paulo; those in Delhi are to relocate to Karachi."

He flipped through the pages in his folder. "Humans tend to look for patterns. If they haven't yet, they'll figure out we're targeting the most populated cities on the planet. I suspect the second wave of the invasion will be harder than the first," admitted Tommy.

"But their technology is so… _primitive_," said General Havoc haughtily. "I don't see why fighting them should suddenly become difficult."

'_When they drop a nuke on your head and blow you to pieces, we'll see how primitive humans are then,' _thought Tommy angrily.

"There are weapons on Earth that you have yet to see, General Havoc. I assure you; the invasion will become much harder when they fight back with their true strength."

Tommy sighed, reigning in his irritation. "But that is not what I was talking about originally. Right now, we've caught them off guard. They now see what we are capable of, and I am sure they are coming up with a plan to retaliate as we speak. The one thing I fear most is their alliance system. The people of Earth rely heavily on each other when times are crucial – it is not an issue right now as there's no real value in helping each other since the places being attacked matter little to each other, but as the number of free cities dwindles, the desire to cluster together will undoubtedly rise. They will join forces and pull from the same resources, and we must be prepared for that."

"Commander, what about the power rangers?" asked Divatox.

Tommy inwardly groaned. _'God dammit.'_

"What about them?" he asked slowly.

"Shouldn't we be concerned about them regrouping?" The other generals nodded in agreement.

"The power rangers will not be an issue for some time, I can assure you. Zordon of Eltar is not in the picture, and with the destruction of their zords, they are no threat."

Havoc leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. "Why is Angel Grove not under attack?"

Tommy's heart began to beat faster. "Come again?"

"Angel Grove… the city the power rangers are based out of. Why aren't we attacking their headquarters?"

Tommy clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "As stated before, their Command Center cannot be attacked. The shields on it are virtually impenetrable – you would have to go inside in order to do any damage. I'm the only one that can do anything to their base, and it has already been done."

"But why not destroy the city anyway?" argued Rygog. "They hide behind masks and fight like you do, Oliver, which means that they also go around like normal humans in public. If we demolish Angel Grove, we destroy the power rangers."

The green ranger licked his lips, thinking quickly on how to answer the question.

"You wish to demolish a relatively small city of little importance in hopes that you _might_ kill five virtually powerless teenagers in the process… whose identities remain unknown to you?"

Rygog flushed. "I was under the impression that their identities were known to _you_."

Tommy could feel the sweat gathering on his palms. "Their identities have never been confirmed, I merely suspect."

He felt Scorpina's glare on him. _'Not now... please.'_

"Then isn't that enough to push forward with attacking Angel Grove?" pressed the lieutenant.

The image of a pregnant Kimberly being shot hit him suddenly, and it made him shudder.

"No. To find them would require uprooting the city – we have strict orders from Lord Zedd to refrain from killing civilians. We will deal with the power rangers when the time comes. We need to neutralize the existing governments and defenses of Earth. They pose a far greater threat than the power rangers right now. Without the power rangers fighting their battles, the people are scared – we need to capitalize on that while we can."

Rygog opened his mouth to protest, but Tommy spoke before he could. "_Moving_ on, I want a status report." He flipped through the pages in his folder. "I have 52 confirmed deaths since the start of the invasion… has this number increased?"

'_That's right, divert their attention away from the power rangers…' _whispered a voice in his head.

Hearing nothing from his generals, Tommy nodded. "Good. Have the families of those soldiers been notified?"

"Yes, Commander. Word has been sent to all of their families," said Scorpina.

"Good." Tommy pulled out a packet from his folder. "How are we on artillery and provisions? I know quite a few weapons were sent down to Earth for the invasion. Have we run out of ammunition? And do we need more food?"

Divatox nodded. "Food is a must if you don't want my soldiers to start eating the civilians."

This brought out a few chuckles in the room, though Tommy felt slightly nauseous at the image of people being eaten.

"They need more meat to feed off of if they are to constantly be in battle. And more energy blasters would be helpful."

The green ranger scribbled down her comments before turning slightly to Scorpina. "How soon can we get the shipments?"

"It depends on the quantity, but I can put a rush on it."

He nodded. "Please do."

Turning back to the others, Tommy cleared his throat. "From what I've gathered, everything appears to be going according to schedule. Rygog, if you need assistance in conquering your cities, please let the rest of the council know. We'd be happy to help."

Tommy smiled when Rygog wore a displeased expression.

"I will be meeting with Lord Zedd at the end of the week to update him on the invasion. If anything happens between now and then, notify either myself or Lt. Commander Scorpina. The meeting is adjourned."

He stood abruptly, sliding out of the chair before heading to his quarters. A few feet behind him was Scorpina, and he knew exactly why she was following him. Tommy opened the door to his room, not bothering to close it as a way to indicate to her to come in.

"Go ahead and ask," he told her as he walked to the back of his room, grabbing his black shoes off the ground and slipping them on.

"Why did you lie to Rygog? We both know you know the power rangers' identities."

Tommy sighed. He couldn't tell Scorpina he didn't want Rygog storming Angel Grove and potentially killing his child in the process.

He walked over to his closet, grabbing his camouflage jacket and shrugging it on.

"Rygog's an idiot – you know that. If it were up to him, he'd make it so nothing was living on this planet. Zedd made it clear he didn't want anyone dead unnecessarily – you were there right beside me." He zipped up his jacket past his navel. "Rygog has to be kept on a leash. If I told him who they were, there'd be no stopping that guy."

The green ranger grabbed his power coin off his dresser, shoving it into his pocket. "I want the rangers dead, especially Jason, but there's a time and a place for that and it isn't now. If he knew I was aware of any of their identities, he would push until he knew the rest. Pretending I don't know who they are keeps him focused on the invasion and away from me."

He paused. "And you know how much I want to kill the red ranger… if Rygog took that from me, well… I'd just be _forced_ to kill him."

"I see," said Scorpina as she watched him collect his things. "Where are you going, Commander?"

The green ranger grinned. "Headed down to Earth. I need a little fun…" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

Tommy didn't want to lie to Scorpina, but telling the truth just wasn't an option at this point.

'_I trust her with my life… but I can't trust her with this.'_

Her lip curled up in disgust, much to his amusement. "Males."

She headed to his door, back turned towards him. "Shall I tell the others you are off to bed then, Commander?"

The green ranger considered this. "Yeah. I don't know when I'll be back, so that would probably be best."

'_No need for anyone to try snooping around while I'm gone…'_

She nodded, closing the door as she walked out. "I will see you tomorrow."

He waited until the door closed before exhaling heavily, already exhausted from his day.

Being out on the battlefield as the green ranger was where Tommy felt in his element. He was a fighter at heart, so being up close and personal with the enemy is where he felt most at home.

But that wasn't what had him tired.

It was those _damn_ meetings. Sitting around a table staring at some of the ugliest creatures in existence to talk about strategy and tactics was not Tommy's idea of fun. Granted, he was intrigued to see how the other seasoned generals approached problems in comparison to him, but the fascination generally gave way to boredom and irritation very quickly.

Especially whenever Rygog decided to open his damn mouth.

The being was incredibly annoying and constantly trying to undermine the green ranger. If the lieutenant commander weren't brilliant, Tommy would have killed him already.

'_Would be one less problem in my life… though it kinda pales in comparison to Kim's bombshell.'_

Tommy ran his hands over his face tiredly. _'Pregnant? Jesus Christ…'_

There were so many questions running through his mind, so many thoughts coming to him at once that it left his head spinning.

He reached into the front pocket of his jacket, re-reading the address scribbled on there in Kim's neat handwriting asking him to meet her before teleporting out.

'_Showtime.'_

* * *

**Outskirts of Angel Grove**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**10:21 PM**

Tommy made his way to the pink Nissan Sentra parked next to the Angel Grove city limit sign, opening the passenger door and climbing inside.

The two sat in deafening silence, Kim turned away from him to look out the window.

"Your mother's been looking for you," she whispered softly. "Cops came by my house… asked if I knew where you were."

"What'd you say?" he asked thickly.

"Well, I couldn't tell them you were up on the moon, making plans to destroy all mankind, now could I? Your mom's in enough pain."

His jaw twitched at her jibe. "What _did_ you say?" he asked again.

She snorted softly. "I told them the truth. I hadn't seen you in days."

Tommy said nothing in response, choosing to stare at her until she began to talk instead of thinking about his mother.

"We can't meet like this anymore," murmured Kimberly after some time. "Anyone can follow us… it's not safe."

"Why didn't you just teleport?" He hadn't been expecting to see her car there.

She placed a hand over her stomach. "Not sure how it will affect the baby... and I didn't want it on the computer log."

Tommy nodded. "Right." He fidgeted nervously. "I'm sorry; it's just... are you sure?"

She raised an eyebrow. "About?"

He gave her a pointed look, and he could see the recognition creep onto her face. "Yeah, I am. I took five tests. They all came back positive. I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to see how far along I am."

He sat back in his seat, slowly digesting her words.

"You're pregnant," said Tommy quietly, as if whispering the words somehow made them less true.

He glanced over at Kimberly, who sat silently in the driver's seat looking out the window. Tommy ran a hand through his hair.

"God… what… _how_ did this happen?"

"Well, Tommy… sometimes this thing happens between a man and a woman called sex. He gets this urge to shove his d–"

"The sarcasm _wasn't_ necessary," he hissed, cutting her off.

"Neither was your _stupid_ question." She shot him a scathing look. "You never wore a condom, genius."

He rolled his eyes. "Whoa, hold on. You could've bought some yourself. You weren't exactly fighting me off, and if I remember correctly, _you_ initiated the sex sometimes."

"Well, given how frequently we had sex and your incessant need to fuck _anywhere_ at any given time, I thought you'd be the one with the protection," she snapped.

He glared angrily. "I'm sorry, okay? I thought you were on birth control or something! How the fuck was I supposed to know this would happen?"

She shot him a look as if he were stupid.

'_Biology 101, genius. You're supposed to pull out.'_

"It wasn't like I was having sex all the time with Jason. Birth control was never something I needed, since I wasn't really sexually active," she pointed out.

She turned from him after a tense silence, and he could see the fight leave her. "It doesn't even matter now," she whispered.

'_Seems like we finally agree on something.'_

He stared at her. "Are you keeping it?"

Kim rubbed her hand over her forehead slowly. "Yeah. The timing is terrible but I can't- I'm not killing my baby."

"_Our_ baby," he corrected without thinking. "It's half mine."

"Half yours?" Kim asked incredulously. "This isn't your fucking property, Tommy."

He rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Whatever," she sighed.

He shifted awkwardly. "Do the others know?"

Kim's fingers ran along the window. "No," she whispered. "But they'll know soon enough when I start to show. Spandex isn't really good for hiding a pregnancy."

Tommy's eyes narrowed. "Hiding a preg- Kim…"

'_She wouldn't…'_

"Tommy…"

'_She would.'_

He shook his head, eyes flashing green. "No, what the fuck is wrong with you? You're going to keep fighting even though you're _pregnant_?"

"It's my body, Tommy. My decision," she argued.

"But it's _our _baby. You know the fighting is going to get more intense since the war has started–"

"A war you're leading," she hissed.

He sat back slowly. "Is that what this is about? You're mad at me because I'm still working for Zedd, so now you're trying to endanger our baby?"

Kim turned her body so that she was finally facing him. "You self-centered, arrogant piece of shit! You think I would try and _kill _my child just because of _you_?"

He threw up his hands in frustration. "Well, what the hell am I supposed to think, Kimberly?" he yelled. He pressed his hands on the dashboard. "You say you hate me. I know you don't want to have my child… and now you're telling me you're going to keep fighting despite being pregnant."

Tommy turned to her. "You hate me that much that you'd kill our baby?"

He flinched as her hand connected with his face, and he knew there was a red handprint on his left cheek. Undoubtedly what he said was uncalled for, but he didn't expect her to slap so damn hard.

He looked at the pink ranger, her face flushed from anger. "You ever say something like that to me again, I'll _kill_ you," she said lowly.

Tommy rubbed his cheek gingerly.

"I know this is difficult for you, Tommy, but just _try_ thinking outside of yourself for maybe five seconds. My decision to keep fighting has nothing to do with you – it's about me and my peace of mind," she said. "And don't even try to pretend you give a shit about my baby. You don't… so who the hell are you to question me?"

"Fighting while pregnant gives you _peace_ of mind?" he asked sarcastically, purposefully ignoring her last comment.

Kim pressed her hands to her temples. "This is pointless. You're not even trying to listen to me or understand what I'm feeling."

"I _am_ listening to you," he argued.

"Really?" she asked with a nasty look. "Then what do I feel right now, Tommy?"

He opened his mouth, only to close it when he realized he had nothing to say.

He hated it when she was right.

"This whole time it's been about what _Tommy_ wants, what _Tommy_ needs… you haven't even asked me how I feel about any of this," she pointed out. "But why should I expect you to care?"

Tommy swallowed dryly, eyes softening when he recognized the truth in her words. He looked at her closely, noticing the dark circles beneath her eyes; the hollowness of her cheeks… her normally bright expression was now dim.

And deep in her doe brown eyes was a glint of fear.

'_She's terrified.'_

"How are you, Kim?" he asked finally.

She snorted. "Please don't pretend now like you care about me. You're only concerned about Zedd finding out I'm pregnant with your child… or should I say your _property_?"

'_I deserved that one,'_ he told himself.

His hand found hers in her lap, thumb rubbing her knuckles gently. "I'm concerned about _both_ of you."

Her gaze traveled to their hands, and he could see the confusion growing in her eyes.

"I'm not…" she paused, jaw clenching as if in pain from the words she wanted to say.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered harshly after a long pause, her body tense. "I'm…I'm eighteen…and _pregnant_." She breathed out slowly, voice hitching on the last word.

And then the words started coming from her mouth at a rapid pace, her eyes unseeing. "My baby's father is a renowned borderline sociopath… my home is being invaded by aliens led by said baby's father…"

She took a shaky breath, pulling her hands from him and running them through her hair. "Everything in my life is spinning out of control, Tommy."Tears were gathering in the corner of her eyes. "Nothing is how it was before, and right now, it feels like I'm just a passenger instead of the driver of my own life."

Tommy listened intently, though as she kept rambling, he got the distinct impression that Kim wasn't talking to him so much as she was talking to herself.

She gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles turning white. "I don't want my baby to die, but I also don't want my child to live in this fucked up world you're bringing with this invasion. I-I know there are _risks_ from fighting but I can't just sit and do nothing. I won't let my child be born into that kind of world without trying to stop it."

Kim stared blankly out the window for some time before shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts. "When I start to show, I'll stop fighting, but right now… I just- I need to have some control over what's going on in my life. Fighting gives me that…"

She turned to him. "You need to understand that."

He knew all too well about wanting to stay in control.

Tommy's jaw clenched. "I understand where you're coming from, but I don't want you fighting while you're pregnant with my child."

Kim looked at him before turning to back to stare out of the windshield.

"Why?" she asked softly, a hint of exasperation in her tone.

"What?"

"You don't want this baby, Tommy. I _know_ you don't…" she said wearily. "And if I were pregnant with anyone else's child, you wouldn't even bat an eye at me fighting."

She cut her eyes at him. "So why does it matter now?" she asked acidly.

He paused, eyes locked with hers as he tried to come up with an answer. "I- It's not…" he began, licking his dry lips before clearing his throat.

'_Answer her, Oliver…'_ hissed a voice in his head.

"Look… the others will know this baby is mine," he said, abruptly changing the subject. "Are you ready for that?"

She sighed at his refusal to answer her question, irritation evident on her face. "I try not to think about it. Jason's going to be so hurt… not that you care."

Tommy shrugged, not seeing the need to bring up Jason.

"At least you're in a better situation," she said softly. "Zedd doesn't know you slept with me."

Tommy breathed deeply, fingers gripping hers tightly. "Yeah, he does," he whispered.

Kim pulled away from him, hands finding their way to her stomach as if shielding it.

"What?" she whispered fearfully.

Tommy licked his lips, not wanting to alarm her further. "Goldar could tell that we had been together… something about his animal senses or whatever. He told Zedd."

He could see the color drain from her face. "Did he confront you?" she asked, eyes wide.

He nodded. "Yeah, after the… _incident_ in the garage. Your scent was… _particularly_ strong that day, and Goldar told him."

At her panicked expression, he held up his hands. "Zedd got the wrong idea about us, and as far as I know, he thinks we're over –"

"We _are_ over," she interrupted sharply.

Tommy briefly closed his eyes before continuing. "He doesn't know you're pregnant. Both he and Goldar are far from Earth at the moment."

She nodded slowly. "And you're sure they don't know about the baby?"

He knew her fears. "I'm sure."

Kim nodded absently, though from the pallor in her face and her worried expression, he could tell his words failed to put her at ease. Tommy watched curiously as her hand remained resting on her stomach, fingers rubbing over the exposed flesh.

When she noticed his stare, she gave a soft smile, gaze on her thin fingers. "When I get stressed, I've taken to rubbing my belly. It's sort of comforting to know that there's this little life inside of me."

He gazed at her stomach, envisioning the small life that was growing inside of her… the life they created.

"Can I?" he asked softly, fingers flexing subconsciously.

Her eyes held surprise and hesitance, and he was sure it was reflected in his own. "Can you _what_?"

He cleared his throat. "I want to feel the baby…where it's growing, I mean."

All surprise was gone from her face, replaced now by disbelief and mild fear.

Tommy sighed irritably at her distrust. "I'm not gonna- I just…never mind."

He turned from her, only to be startled when he felt her hand wrap around his wrist after a tense silence.

"You won't feel a kick or anything. It's way too early for that."

She hesitantly tugged on his large hand, placing it lightly over her navel, as if scared of his touch. His thumb rubbed over the flesh, and he could feel a firmness that wasn't there before.

Everything fell away once his hand touched her skin. The invasion, the fear, the pain… all he could feel was warmth that soothed him. Her trembling hand rested over his and he looked up at her with a nervous smile.

"I'm going to be a dad," he whispered.

Tommy never expected to be a parent. The lifestyle of a bachelor was too alluring to him to feel any desire to be bogged down with a wife and kids. Even in high school, Tommy was used to going from girl to girl, and he had to admit that he liked the lack of commitment and freedom to do as he pleased.

Tommy knew he wasn't cut out to handle the responsibility of being a parent, and honestly, he didn't think he'd make a particularly good dad. He was rude and selfish and figured those were neither traits to pass on to a child nor the characteristics of a good parent.

But sitting with Kimberly at that moment, his hand resting on her stomach where a life they made was growing, sparked something deep within him. He knew the world was going to Hell right now and that tomorrow was uncertain, but there was one thing the green ranger was certain of.

He could see himself being a father to this baby… and that scared the shit out of him.

"This is so crazy, Tommy," whispered Kim. "I never thought this would be happening… but…"

He heard her sniff; surprised to see her crying when he looked up. "Kim?"

"Everything's so fucked up about this. What am I going to do?" Her voice was full of anguish. "I don't want to lose my baby."

His hand found her cheek, and he saw her flinch at his touch. Anxious brown eyes locked with his. "Listen to me," he ordered with a confidence he didn't feel. "I know you're worried about what's going to happen to our child, right?"

Kim stared at him vacantly before nodding, eyes cautious. "No matter what, it's going to be fine, okay?"

'_Liar,'_ scoffed a disbelieving voice in his head. _'Your words are empty… both of you know that.'_

Her face scrunched up in anger suddenly, eyes blazing as she pushed him away. "Don't _lie_ to me, Tommy! Everything won't be _fine_."

"Kim-" The green ranger was startled by the ferocity of her tone.

"Did you forget that a war is going on right now? The Dark Empire already took out three major cities… when will they be coming for Angel Grove?"

The green ranger stared at her. "They won't… not for a while, anyway. I'm sure of it."

As long as he was able to get away with it, Tommy would divert their attacks to bigger cities than Angel Grove. He knew it would work for a while, but eventually…

Kim threw up her hands in frustration. "Is that supposed to make me feel _better_?" she asked incredulously. "Angel Grove is safe for… what? A week? A year? Where will I go when this baby is born, Tommy? Where will we live if the Earth is destroyed? How can I give birth if there are no hospitals left standing? Did you even _think_ about any of that or were you too busy stroking your dagger?"

Tommy ran his hands across his face, a migraine coming on from her onslaught of questions.

"As long as I'm heading the invasion, you have nothing to worry about, Kim. I promise you," he said emphatically, wanting her to believe him.

"Nothing to worry about?" she growled. "I'll be pregnant for nine months, Tommy. How many cities will be free then? Angel Grove will be hit before that."

'_She knows you're lying,'_ spoke up the sinister voice again. _'You can't promise her anything but death.'_

He shook his head. "We're only going after major cities-"

She glared at him so fiercely he stopped speaking. "I think the city where the Earth's best line of defense against this invasion is based qualifies as a major city, don't you?" she asked in a challenging tone. "Should I prepare myself for a slaughter in Angel Grove anytime soon? I'd rather move while I still can instead of being an easy target in a few months."

'_Answer her, Oliver.'_

Tommy forced himself to ignore his thoughts. "This invasion is peaceful, Kim. No one's being killed or–"

An abrupt laugh from the pink ranger cut him off. "You call what happened today in Paris _peaceful? _Tommy, you almost singlehandedly destroyed their entire armed forces."

The green ranger shrugged. "Not my fault they were unprepared. They should take what happened today as a sign of how much improvement they need."

"You killed hundreds of innocent people today, Tommy!" she shouted angrily.

"Those soldiers were anything but innocent," he shot back scathingly.

"Those soldiers were doing their job! Trying to protect the civilians from people like you! From people like Zedd!" she yelled in exasperation. "37 civilians were killed in your attack today, Tommy. People who did nothing but be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

He furrowed his brows. "37? How did we manage to kill so few?" he mumbled to himself.

Lord Zedd would undoubtedly be pleased to hear such a small number of civilian casualties.

Kim blinked in seeming disbelief, slowly shaking her head as she turned to look out the window. Tommy could hear her muttering under her breath; the words "crazy" and "fucking ridiculous" were clear.

He sighed, seeing the conversation was headed nowhere fast. "Okay, look… clearly you're not going to be civil with me, so I guess- I guess we're done here. Is there anything you need from me while you're… in your condition?"

He heard Kim snort. "I need you to stop this invasion."

Tommy took a deep breath. _'Walked right into that one.'_

"Or better yet, I need you to go back in time and not destroy our zords or throw me out of the fucking cockpit!" she shouted, forcing Tommy to wince.

'_Definitely not one of my smarter moves… but I didn't know she was carrying my child at the time!'_

The sinister voice spoke up again. _'Would it have mattered?'_

Kim's voice dropped to a whisper, cracking slightly. "I need Zordon back."

Tommy swallowed thickly, unsure of how to handle her mood swing. Awkwardly, he reached out to grab her hand but she snatched it away from him as if she were burned.

"No, don't _touch_ me, Tommy," she growled. "You don't have that right anymore… you never should've had it in the first place."

He frowned, put off by her cold demeanor.

'_She said she hates you. Why did you expect any different?'_

"Kim- I…" His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but he knew nothing he could say would help the situation.

"Just go, Tommy," she said weakly, turning away from him.

He stared at her, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. "What if you need me?" he asked softly, hating how weak those words made him sound.

"I won't," she said coldly, and he visibly winced. "If I have anything to say to you… just check under the rock in the park. The place we used to go to all the time before you became... _you_."

Tommy didn't know want to admit it, but her words cut him deeply. He rubbed his chest briefly, hoping to get rid of the sudden tightness there.

"Kim," he whispered, voice drowned out by the sound of the car turning on.

"Get out," she whispered hoarsely, looking away from him. "Now."

His hand gripped the door handle tightly. "I'll check under the rock in a week." The passenger door creaked open and he shivered at the cool night air.

"Bye," he said crisply. Tommy quickly stepped out into the night air before pushing the door hard and slamming it shut with unnecessary force.

'_You want me gone? Fine… I'm outta here.'_

He teleported back to his quarters, landing at the foot of his bed. He peeled off his jacket and shirt, tossing them onto the floor before kicking off his shoes.

Had he ever been this drained before?

Tommy climbed into his bed, silk sheets caressing his skin softly as he laid his head on the large pillows.

As he drifted off to sleep, Tommy silently wished, not for the first time, that Lord Zedd had taken away his ability to feel anything on that fateful day he chose to become his green ranger.

Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much.

* * *

_More to come in the future. Until then, Happy New Year!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note:** Here's chapter two! Hope you enjoy it. :)_

* * *

**Lunar Palace**

**Throne Room**

**The Moon**

**Tuesday, Local time, unknown**

Tommy snatched off the helmet of his power suit, coughing harshly to clear out the smoke in his system. He had just returned, suit covered in grime, from the second day of invading Berlin.

The Germans were particularly annoying to fight in comparison to the French, though he figured that had more to do with the fact that the Germans had had time to prepare. It seemed their major plan of attack was to suffocate his soldiers and fight them in smoke while wearing gas masks. Initially, it threw him for a loop, but as it turned out, navigating through the smoke turned out to be problematic only for him.

Assholes.

"Hello, Commander!" Squatt yelled excitedly when he caught sight of the approaching green ranger. Tommy's only response was a grunt before he turned the corner, kicking open his door and slamming it closed.

Tommy sighed deeply, eyes closed as he took in the clean air of his room. He needed to do a check with Finster soon to make sure he didn't have a large amount of toxins in his system; his helmet could only filter out so much.

Tommy unhooked his morpher from around his waist, tossing it gently onto his bed. He took off his belt next, throwing it onto the ground in disgust when he noticed his entire power suit was gray from soot instead of its usual white and green. He unclipped his gold shield, lifting it over his head and setting it on the ground at the foot of his bed. His suit came off next, and he was careful to remove it slowly, not wanting to shake too much of the ash onto his floor.

He placed all of his dirty clothes into a corner, making a mental note to have Baboo come and take them to be cleaned. Cleaning them now wasn't essential – his closet was full of duplicate green ranger uniforms.

Tommy sighed when he caught sight of himself in his mirror, knowing full well that his body was in bad shape. His torso was unscathed save for some bruises thanks to the protective gear he wore beneath his outfit. He had spoken with Finster about the discomfort and weakness of his original green ranger uniform prior to the invasion, which was made from strengthened spandex. The Claydoian engineer listened to the problems Tommy spoke of and created a new underarmor body suit to wear beneath his normal costume in order to fit the teen's needs.

Finster showcased his technical brilliance in the form of the adamantite body armor Tommy was currently wearing. The material was lightweight, covering from his shoulder blades down to the middle of his thighs. It was silver and looked like mesh, and the green ranger was able to move freely as if he wore nothing underneath his uniform.

Underneath his armor was a thin, black formfitting suit that covered every part of his body from the neck down except his fingers, which poked through small slots. The suit fit his body tightly like spandex; only it didn't chafe his skin or cause his body to sweat as much. He forgot the name of the substance it was made from – he hadn't really been listening to Scorpina that day – but he knew it was supposed to help with cuts and scrapes that his green ranger outfit couldn't shield him from on its own.

Tommy quickly removed the armor, undoing the clasps that held it together and sliding it off his lean form. He undid the zipper at the front of his fitted suit, grimacing when he caught sight of his arms as he peeled off the thin material. Large bruises ran the length of both his arms, some already turning blue from swelling. He let out a grunt when he felt a jolt of pain shoot up his spine as he rolled the suit to rest along his hips, indicating there were bruises on his back.

'_At least it looks worse than it feels…'_

A knock at the door caught his attention. "Who is it?" he called out. _'Please don't be Rygog.'_

He heard scuffling outside the door. "Scorpina."

"Come in. I'm in the back."

The door to his room opened softly, and he strained to hear his lieutenant's soft footsteps across the floor. She appeared in his doorway with a brown bag, eyes narrowing as they raked over his body.

"They got you good, Commander," she commented.

He shrugged. "Seems that way."

His eyes dropped to the bag in her hands. "What's that?"

"A package arrived for you today from the emperor. What it is exactly, I'm not sure." She held out the package.

Tommy grabbed it from her, noting its weight. "Thanks."

She nodded before looking him over again. "You all right, Commander?"

He snorted, pushing down his suit and kicking it off his legs to stand in his boxer briefs. Normally, he'd make a salacious comment about Scorpina seeing him half naked, but he didn't have the energy today. "You don't have to call me that, you know. I mean… no one's around."

Truthfully, it made Tommy feel incredibly weird to have Scorpina call him commander given that the only reason he was so skilled was because of her. He should be her subordinate, not the other way around.

Scorpina smirked. "That's your title. You should be called by it."

He scoffed, leaning down and opening his dresser. "A few weeks ago, my _title_ was pup," he mumbled lowly.

He pulled out a pair black sweatpants and a white over-shirt to change into after his shower.

"Does it truly bother you to be called commander?" she asked after a pause, and Tommy was surprised to see genuine concern on her face.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror. "Sometimes," he admitted. "Only when you say it though." He turned to her. "If it's Rygog or the others, I want them to call me that just because it pisses them off… but it's just strange to hear you say it."

Tommy pushed the drawer back in. "They don't know anything but Commander Oliver, but you were there when I was just the green ranger… you knew me when I was just Tommy. I don't know. It's just… different."

Scorpina stared at him strangely, and Tommy could feel the heat creep up his neck. He hadn't meant to be so candid with her, but once he got started, he just couldn't stop the words from coming.

She cleared her throat awkwardly. "So what are you going to do about those bruises… Tommy?"

A slight smile graced his lips. "Gonna hit the shower."

Scorpina raised an eyebrow. "That's nice… but it doesn't answer my question."

He rolled his eyes. "They're not that bad, Scorpy."

Her black eyes narrowed dangerously. "What?" he asked in confusion as her glare intensified.

Scorpina shook her head in disgust. "Go take your shower. I'll be back with ointment for your bruises in a while."

The green ranger watched her leave his room, eyebrow raised at her low mumbling. Tommy slowly made his way to his bathroom, blinking hard when the bright light turned on and shined directly in his face.

It still boggled his mind how large his bathroom was, nearly twice as big as the room he used to live in a few weeks ago at the palace. The black and white checkered floor was a welcome change, and he thought it was cool that everything in his bathroom was made from black porcelain instead of the traditional white.

He set his clothes and Lord Zedd's package down on the toilet before heading over to the large bathtub. As Tommy sat on the edge of the large circular black bathtub, he noticed a small bowl of what looked like bath beads near his feet. The green ranger reached down, picking up the bowl and moving the beige beads around lightly with his fingers…

"_Yes."_

"_No."_

"_Yes."_

"_No."_

_A smack followed by a hiss sounded loudly in the room. "Yes, and that's final."_

_Tommy groaned, head tilted back with a pout. "Mom, come on, you can't be serious."_

_Sandra Oliver shoved the small bag into his chest. "Do I look like I'm kidding?"_

_He rolled his eyes. "Really, though? Bath beads? Mom…"_

"_What's wrong with bath beads?" she asked in confusion._

_Tommy shot her a look at the silliness of her question. "Real men take showers."_

_Sandra pinched the bridge of her nose, swearing softly under her breath._

_Tommy had just come home from a particularly rough day of practice at football, limping considerably as he made his way through the front door._

"_Tommy, baths work wonders when it comes to aching muscles. I assure you, your masculinity will remain intact if you take one today."_

_He scowled. "Doubt it."_

_Sandra closed her eyes for several seconds._

"_I understand that you're not particularly fond of baths, given that you seem to think that your penis will fall off if you take one."_

_He snorted._

"_But sweetie, seriously? You'll be fine, and you'll feel much better afterwards." She smiled lovingly at him._

_Tommy looked at the small bag of beads for several seconds before shaking his head vigorously."Nope, can't do it. It's just not manly."_

_Sandra scowled. "Thomas, where did you get this silly notion in your head that baths are emasculating? I already explained to you that doesn't make sense – what part are you not understanding?"_

'_Well obviously the core concept,' he thought snidely, though he wisely chose to keep that comment to himself._

"_You don't get it, mom, you're a chick," he told her in exasperation. "Look, can I just go take my shower, please? I feel gross."_

_He attempted to sway her using his wounded puppy look, but from the fierce glint in her eyes, he knew the battle was lost long ago._

"_You have until the count of ten to head downstairs and take your bath."_

"_Can't you just-"_

"_One…" she started._

_His eyes widened. "Really? You're actually going to count to ten."_

"_Two…"_

"_Mom, look-"_

"_Three…" her voice rose slightly._

"_How about we get dad's opini-"_

"_Wiwih…" Tommy's mouth snapped shut when he heard her switch from English to Cahuilla, a clear sign that she was no longer playing games._

_His mother only used her native tongue when she was deadly serious._

"_Nemaqw__ánang…"_

"_I'm going…I'm going…" he mumbled as he brushed past her, bath beads in hand as he made his way to his bathroom in shame._

_That night at dinner, he was too prideful to let her know that he felt much better than before and that her suggestion worked, but he had a sneaking suspicion from the smirk on her face that she already knew…_

Tommy chuckled lowly to himself at the memory, twisting the handle so that hot water poured into the bathtub. His mother would be highly amused if she knew her grown son was taking another bath and this time of his own accord. She'd have that same annoying smirk on her face for sure, and he could almost hear the teasing comments she would come up with.

'_I think the last thing your mother would do if she saw you right now is tease you, Oliver,'_ a voice spoke up softly.

The smile fell from Tommy's face as he acknowledged the truth in those words, knowing his mother was probably an absolute wreck with him gone.

Suddenly, the memory wasn't very funny anymore.

He toyed with the beads for several seconds before letting them slip slowly from his hands into the water, eyes focused on the white bubbles that began to form.

His briefs slid down his long legs, and he kicked them over into a corner of the bathroom before climbing into the tub, inching slowly into the hot water with a low hiss. The water was scalding against his skin, and he blinked rapidly to see through the thick steam in the air. Leaning forward, he shut off the water when the tub was full, reclining back once he was done and closing his eyes.

His muscles ached something terrible from the battle, and he inwardly sighed from the relief the water brought him. He had been forced to engage the German army in hand-to-hand combat when he realized the Dragonzord was too large to fit in the Spree River. He lost count of how many buildings he went flying through due to explosions after the fourth time, and if the bruises were any indication, he had taken several serious blows during the fight.

He could actually taste the dirt and sweat from the battle in Berlin on his tongue, eyes moving rapidly beneath his eyelids as he replayed the events over again in his head like a bad movie. The cries of frightened citizens and the agonizing screams of wounded soldiers were still fresh in his ear, and he winced from the intensity.

'_Focus on something else…anything else.'_

Tommy opened his brown eyes slowly, his thoughts shifting to the power rangers as he stared at the ceiling of his bathroom. As far as he knew, they were still inactive; he was a little surprised that they hadn't joined in the fight yet.

It wasn't like them… and it certainly wasn't like Jason to let the squeaky clean reputation of the power rangers be soiled.

The green ranger smirked at the thought of the red ranger.

He was anxiously waiting for the day he and Jason would fight each other once again. Battling soldiers and seizing cities, although fun and mostly amusing, did not provide the green ranger with the same thrill as fighting the red ranger. Jason was one of the few who could say they were matched with Tommy in skill alone. They didn't need to fight with clever words or rely on over-the-top weaponry to make a point – just the opportunity to fight uninterrupted until only one man was left standing.

His desire to fight Jason was strengthened by the red ranger's anger over the situation with Kim. Tommy had never seen his former friend so furious before. The pain and hatred in the boy's eyes was embedded in the green ranger's memory, and he wanted to fight Jason when he was consumed with that same rage. Jason usually held back when fighting Tommy, most likely out of guilt for being such a disgrace when Tommy needed him most, but that day in the garage when he walked in on Kimberly and Tommy…

_That_ was the Jason that Tommy wanted to fight – the Jason that fought with everything in him, unhinged.

That was the Jason he wanted to remember when Tommy slit his throat.

The green ranger sighed, eyes drooping for some time before closing once more. He could see himself in his head, standing over a fallen Jason victoriously with his Dragon dagger in his hand, the tip dripping with blood. Jason lay at his feet, eyes lifeless as he stared blankly up at the sky.

'_What would Kimberly think if she knew you still intended to kill the man she loves?'_ asked a voice softly.

The green ranger's eyes snapped open as he jerked violently, sending some of the water spilling over the edge and out of the tub.

'_Do you really think that's a good idea, Oliver?'_

"Son of a bitch," he muttered softly. "You won't quit, will you?"

Over the last few days, Tommy had begun to hear two voices in his head. Originally, he thought it was just his conscience speaking to him… something similar to the angel vs. demon duality that helped guide people through life like he saw in movies and television.

But now he wasn't so sure.

The voices started out that way, harmless enough, only appearing at times when he was having difficulty making decisions about what to do. And then they sort of… _evolved_ into something more. Their appearances became more frequent and pronounced as time went on. Each voice had developed a distinct personality and spoke almost _conversationally_ with him.

He wondered if he might be suffering from schizophrenia.

'_You're no crazier than we are,'_ offered the nicer of the two with a chuckle. _'Does that make you feel any better?'_

It didn't.

Quickly, Tommy ducked his head beneath the water, submerging himself for several seconds before coming back up, hoping that the action would somehow drown out the people living in his head. He ran his hands over his face tiredly before pushing back his long, thick hair. He sniffed a few times, eyes searching the bathroom quickly for a distraction before falling on the brown bag Scorpina had given him earlier.

Curiously, he reached out a wet arm, bringing the package to the side of the tub and ripping it open carelessly. Tommy stared at the object with narrowed eyes, unsure of what it was. It looked like a flask, completely black except for the silver insignia of the Dark Empire on the front. Opening it, Tommy sniffed its contents hesitantly, surprised to smell a sweet, almost sugary odor instead of the anticipated bitter smell of alcohol.

A flash of white on the floor caught his eye and he reached down, grabbing the small slip of paper that was crushed between two pieces of the bag.

_Congratulations on a job well done, Commander. I expect more of the same. Emperor Zedd._

The green ranger felt warmth in his chest before he dropped the paper to the ground, eyes drawn back to the flask in his hand.

A sudden knock on his door startled him, and he nearly dropped the container on the ground as he swore loudly, knee banging against the inside of the tub painfully.

"What?" he grunted.

There was a pause. "I brought the ointment. I'll be waiting out front." He could hear the amusement in Scorpina's tone.

Rolling his eyes, Tommy carefully set the flask on the ground before rolling over and grabbing the nearby sponge to begin scrubbing his body down.

It felt good to clean himself. In reality, very little dirt got on him due to the suit he wore, but it still felt as if he was washing away the filth from the day. It was only when he was sure every inch of his body was clean that the green ranger rinsed himself off and climbed out of the tub, water dripping from his muscular form onto the tile floor. He squeezed out as much water as he could from his hair before allowing the water to drain from the tub.

Grabbing his towel off the rack, he dried himself off before getting dressed and heading out, flask in hand.

Tommy scowled when he saw Scorpina sitting on his leather couch, but the warrior merely raised an eyebrow in amusement as he made his way over to her. He sat so that his back faced her.

"You really ought to take better care of yourself," she chided, and he could hear her squirting the ointment onto her hand.

Tommy's eyes narrowed. "Thanks for the advice, Scorpy. I'll make sure to tell the enemy to take it just a _little_ bit easier on me tomorrow. Why didn't I think of that one?"

He groaned when he felt her palms slap against the bruises on his back, followed by the use of unnecessary force when she massaged the cream into his skin.

"That hurt?" she hissed.

"Nope. Never better," he said through gritted teeth.

"You need to talk to Finster about your armor. It's supposed to prevent this from happening," she reminded.

Tommy shook his head. "He told me it keeps me from being fatally wounded. Bruises come with the job. It's not so bad."

She shook her head. "The emperor would be disgusted with how little you care for your health."

Scorpina extended his left arm, turning it slightly to rub the bitter smelling cream on his skin. Although Tommy was more than capable of doing this himself, he knew he never would out of laziness and pride, and was inwardly grateful for Scorpina's insistence on keeping him healthy.

"And that's why he won't find out, right?" he asked, only to be met with silence. Tommy sighed.

"Speaking of him, you know what this is?" He turned completely now, his chest toward her as he held the black flask to her face in hopes of changing the topic of conversation.

Scorpina plucked it from his hand and opened it, taking a quick whiff before smiling and giving it back to him. "It's a tonic. From Regda 2."

The teen made a face. "I don't drink. He knows that."

Tommy took a risk with many things, but willingly ingesting poison was not on his list of things to try. He was strict about his training, and he saw no benefit from using drugs or alcohol.

And even though Zedd seemed to be on good terms with him, he would be damned before willingly ingesting anything the emperor gave him.

Scorpina nodded slowly, focusing on rubbing the cream into Tommy's chest and right arm.

"It is rare that one turns down an offering of _Daem_, especially when it is so hard to find… and so expensive."

Tommy looked down at the flask apprehensively. "Really?" he murmured.

Scorpina chuckled lowly. "An offering of tonic is common amongst ranking officials after a successful mission in our empire, Tommy. _Daem_ is the most expensive tonic in the universe and for good reason. It's extremely potent."

She massaged the last bit of the cream into his skin before pulling away slowly, eyes locking with his.

"I would think twice before throwing it away."

The green ranger stared as he watched her get up, frowning when she paused on her way out next to the leather chair. Scorpina bent over, picking up a piece of paper on the ground and unfolding it. Tommy narrowed his eyes, unsure of where the paper came from. His eyes trailed over to the camouflage jacket draped on the back of the chair a few feet away.

"Who's 'K'?" Scorpina asked.

Panic filled his veins when he realized that Scorpina was holding the note he received from Kimberly from a while back. He quickly made his way over to her, snatching the paper from her with his free hand before turning his back to her.

"That's private," he ground out.

He could feel Scorpina's black eyes on his back, and he silently willed her to leave.

"Right," she said hesitantly, and he could tell from her tone she wanted to push the issue. "Good night, Commander."

He followed her to the door, closing it softly behind her and resting his forehead on it gently.

'_Close call, Oliver.'_

Tommy looked at the note again, eyes searching to see if there was any way for Scorpina to glean Kim's identity from the few words scribbled there. _'She can't…there's nothing here that leads to Kim and she doesn't know about what happened between us…'_

He let out a relieved sigh before pushing off the door, heading tiredly towards his large bed. His brown eyes dropped to the black flask in his other hand again before setting it down on the glass coffee table as he walked by.

"I'll keep you for now since I can't pour you down the drain," he murmured softly to the flask. "Maybe I can slip some into Rygog's drink while he isn't looking."

The thought brought a smile to the teen's face, and he stretched his long limbs as he shrugged on his over-shirt.

Tommy closed his eyes as he curled into his bed, snorting briefly into his pillow as he fell asleep with the image of a drunken Rygog at the next council meeting playing in his head.

* * *

**Angel Grove Park**

**The Lake**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**Saturday, 6:52 PM**

Tommy looked around him to see if anyone noticed his presence. It was hard enough getting away from the palace without all the peering eyes. Teleporting down to Angel Grove Park at sunset was hardly covert.

Quickly, he made his way over to the lake, eyes falling to the large boulder that rested near the water. Squatting, he pushed the rock onto its side, muscles burning from the exertion. Normally, moving the boulder wouldn't have caused the green ranger to bat an eye, but the fatigue in his limbs made the task difficult.

The battle in Berlin was still underway, much to his chagrin, and it was becoming particularly nasty to fight the Germans without bringing unnecessary harm to the civilians. The Germans were still fighting hard against the Dark Empire, though their numbers were dwindling; they were becoming more desperate, and in turn more vicious, with their attacks.

The initial use of smoke against his soldiers was a slight annoyance to the green ranger, but not something that wasn't manageable. The switch from smoke to tear gas was an unpleasant surprise for his troops, though they remained virtually unscathed due to their lack of mucous membranes. Tommy, on the other hand, had been nearly blinded when nearly a dozen gas bombs surrounded him, forcing him to teleport out of the area and back to the lunar palace to receive immediate medical attention.

The worst was the fight two days earlier, when he was hit with a gas bomb that nearly killed him. He had just finished setting fire to a platoon of soldiers in a nearby trench when he collapsed suddenly, body convulsing uncontrollably on the ground. His muscles had begun to contract involuntarily, and he was frightened to discover that he was unable to control the spasms. Luckily, one of his soldiers found him and ordered an immediate transport to the medical bay.

By the time he arrived, Tommy had already passed out from the strain on his body. He awoke the next day in immense pain and found he could barely move thanks to the after effects of a nerve gas. Scorpina had taken over for him in Berlin while he was recovering, determined to see that the mission was successful. Her physiology, while similar to humans, was different enough to allow her to fight in the presence of fumes that were highly toxic to him. He had also learned from Baboo and Squatt that Finster was working on integrating a universal gas mask into his helmet to prevent incidents like this from happening again in the future.

Tommy only wished it hadn't taken him nearly dying for Finster to realize his power suit needed an obvious upgrade.

He had been ordered to stay in the medical bay, hooked up to the various beeping machines and needles, until he recovered… which was exactly why he left as soon as he was alone for more than five minutes.

"Shit," he rasped when the boulder finally gave way. The teen sank to the ground tiredly, fighting down the bout of nausea that washed over him before looking down at where the rock used to be.

Nothing.

Tommy grunted in annoyance. This was the fourth time he had come to the park to see if Kimberly had left him a message, and once again, there was nothing there.

A heat coursed through his body, anger pooling inside of him at an alarming rate.

She was being incredibly stupid and selfish, in his opinion. Sure, he may have done some things that were admittedly questionable and possibly not the _right_ thing to do by her goody-two-shoes standards, but she had no right to shut him out of their child's life like this. He was keeping her safe… and if she actually took the time to think about it, he was keeping their child safe, too.

Maybe he shouldn't have destroyed their zords or could have been a little more considerate of her feelings about Zordon, but he was keeping her out of the fight… keeping their child a bit safer.

She should be _thanking_ him.

'_Oh, get off your high horse, Oliver. You don't care, and you're deluded if you think you do.'_

Tommy rolled his eyes in annoyance at the thought. _'I _do_ care.'_

'_Really?'_ asked the voice skeptically._ 'Funny way of showing it.'_

The green ranger scowled. _'I'm here, aren't I? I could be back in the medical bay right now. I didn't have to check here for her stupid messages or prevent an attack on Angel Grove. So don't tell me I don't care when I do.'_

He heard a soft chuckle in his head. _'You're so full of shit.'_

The green ranger clenched his fists.

'_You're Zedd's lapdog, Oliver. The only thing you care about is yourself. You're not protecting Kimberly because you care about her or your bastard child. You're making sure that no one else figures out that you knocked up one of Zordon's elite warriors. You're saving your own ass…as usual.'_

The anger slowly began to drain out of him.

'_The fewer people who know about Kim and your child, the better. You're not scared that her fighting in the war will kill your child… or even her. You're scared that someone might be able to figure out that the bump that'll be in her spandex suit isn't just gained weight. You don't want anyone to know you fucked up in the worst way possible.'_

That was a fact that Tommy couldn't deny. Gaining the respect of his officers was a difficult task but most of them had begrudgingly began to trust him. There were still _some_ lingering doubts about his leadership abilities and loyalties towards the Dark Empire, namely stemming from that pretentious asshole Rygog. Knowledge that the green ranger had been engaged in an affair with Zordon's precious pink ranger would be all the ammunition he'd need to bring Tommy down. News of a pregnant Kimberly would be more than enough to destroy everything the green ranger had worked so hard to gain.

But was that really his sole motivation for protecting Kimberly and keeping their child safe? He did tell her he had loved her… that had to count for something, right?

A loud snicker brought him out of his thoughts. _'You mean that fake declaration of love you gave a while back?'_

'_It wasn't completely fake,'_ he defended weakly. '_If things were different-'_

'_If things were different, a lot of things could be true, Oliver,' _snarled the voice. _'But the fact of the matter is that what _is_ true is things are how they are and you don't love her.'_

'_I could,' _he shot back with no force.

'_But you _don't_,'_ said the voice with such finality that it forced the green ranger into silence.

"I don't," he whispered aloud. "I don't love her." The words felt strange when he said them, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

Saying the words out loud didn't have as much of a punch as he thought they would.

'_Maybe that's because you already knew the truth.'_

At the time, it felt like the right thing to say to her. She said it first, and with everything going on, it was the least he could give her for all the shit he pulled. And technically, he hadn't _lied_ to her. If things were different, he really _could _love Kimberly…

But he wasn't in love with her and didn't need that in his life. Not now.

He couldn't deny, however, that annoyingly persistent part of him that wanted him to acknowledge that he still felt _something_.

A snort in his head brought him out of his thoughts. _'Haven't figured it out yet? You're incredibly dense.'_

This voice was different from the other. Youthful… but significantly more annoying.

'_Excuse me?'_

A chuckle reverberated loudly in his head. _'I guess you are this stupid if you're listening to anything _he_ says.'_

Tommy's face scrunched up in confusion. _'He? Who the hell is-'_

'_You're so sure you're not in love with Kimberly,'_ interrupted the new voice quickly.

'_I'm not,'_ replied Tommy. _'You think differently?'_

There was a pause. _'I don't doubt that you believe you don't love her…more than anything, I'm convinced of that.' _More silence. _'But something doesn't add up.'_

Tommy's eyes narrowed. _'What do you mean?'_

'_Your need to protect Kim comes out of the need to protect yourself, right? Keep her and the baby off the radar and Tommy stays safe?'_

The green ranger nodded without thinking before realizing it didn't make sense to nod to a voice in his head.

'_Then why go through all of this? Why pass secret notes and have late night meetings with her? Why go through all of this trouble when there's a much simpler solution to this problem?'_

The voice dropped to a small, deadly whisper. _'Kill her.'_

A cold chill ran down Tommy's spine suddenly, and he shuddered involuntarily. _'W-What?'_

But he was met with silence.

He swallowed thickly, Adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat. Getting rid of her and the baby _was_ the obvious way to solve the problem their affair now presented. But to actually _kill_ her? That never even crossed his mind.

'_Why not?'_ asked the voice in a tone that grated Tommy's nerves. _'It's not as if she matters to you…as if you love her.'_

Tommy licked his lips. _'I don't but…'_

'_But what?'_ the voice pressed urgently.

The teen had no response.

He just couldn't kill her… and he didn't know why.

Why couldn't he?

'_You know why…'_ whispered the voice tauntingly before laughing.

Tommy stared down at the Earth beneath his feet before scowling. "I'm arguing with voices in my head… what the fuck is wrong with you, Oliver?"

He pushed the boulder back to its original position before pulling himself painfully up to his feet, quickly knocking the dirt from the back of his jeans.

Those damn voices were always popping up when he needed them to be quiet. He knew he should probably see someone about them, but the last thing he needed was for the other officers to get word that he was losing his mind.

Mental instability would just be another mark against him in the long run.

Looking out at the sky over the lake, he could see the last few rays of sunlight falling behind the trees. He needed to get back to the lunar palace for his meeting with Lord Zedd, but there was something he needed to do first.

Something he needed to see.

Checking quickly to make sure he was alone, the green ranger teleported out of Angel Grove Park, landing a few seconds later outside of a two-story blue and white house. He reached out a shaky hand to touch the black Lexus GS 300 in the driveway. He ran a finger along the dent on the hood of the car, remembering fondly how he had accidentally slammed the car into a tree once during a family reunion in Arizona.

A flash of light in his peripheral caught his attention, and slowly, Tommy made his way to the large window at the front of the house. The white curtains in front of the window blocked his view, but he could see well enough to recognize his mother's form on the couch.

Sandra Oliver was curled up on the sofa wrapped up in a dark blanket. After a closer inspection, Tommy realized was his Bruce Lee mink blanket. Her long hair was hanging loose around her head, and he could make out the streaks of gray in it.

She was asleep, curled in the fetal position as the lights from the television played across her face. She looked older than he remembered her looking when he left, and he could tell from the puffiness around her eyes and how swollen they were that she had been crying.

Slowly, Tommy pushed the hood back from his head, stomach twisting painfully as he caught sight of the green t-shirt clutched tightly in his mother's fist. It was the shirt he wore at his first karate match when he was six-years-old. A ragged breath escaped him, and he swallowed hard at the sight of her looking so small. His eyes traveled back to her face and his eyes widened in shock when he saw hers were open and focused on him, filled with an emotion he couldn't understand.

Hurriedly, he slipped his hood back on over his head before turning and running around to the side of his house, wincing from the strain on his legs. The sound of the front door opening signaled that she was outside, and it was then when Tommy decided to teleport away from Angel Grove, determined to escape before she could spot him.

Over the cracking sound of his teleportation, he could make out the faint cry of his name right before he disappeared.

He was glad he wouldn't have to hear the sobs he knew had followed.

* * *

**Lunar Palace**

**Throne Room**

**The Moon**

**Local time, unknown**

"…are making it incredibly difficult for any type of decision to be made," Zedd said in disgust. "I don't even think the Eltarians want a treaty with the KAX Union. They only want to prevent my empire from reaching its full…"

Tommy stared blankly at the emperor as he ranted via the comm-link, knowing full well he should be listening to Zedd with rapt attention.

For the last fifteen minutes or more, Lord Zedd had been telling them about the state of things with the KAX Union, and the teen had heard none of it. Scorpina and Rygog were actively engaged in conversation with the emperor, asking the right questions and displaying all the characteristics of diligent lieutenant commanders.

He, on the other hand, was so far gone from the conversation that he couldn't even begin to pretend to be paying attention. Tommy's mind was filled with so many thoughts that it was difficult to listen to what the emperor was saying. His mind was fixed on the image of his mother curled up on the sofa.

The look on her face when she spotted him was burned into his mind.

If he were able to feel guilt, he knew he would be consumed with it right now. His mother was the one person who had done nothing wrong to him and was probably hurting the most from what he was doing.

He subconsciously ran a hand over his navel, vaguely recalling the burning sensation of remorse that used to build in that spot long ago.

All there now was a void.

"Commander?"

Tommy blinked rapidly when he realized he was being addressed. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Yes?"

Rygog tutted under his breath. "Were you even _listening_, boy? Our emperor was speaking of important matters, and you're off daydreaming."

"I wasn't daydreaming, Rygog, and I would like to remind you that you do not address your superior as _boy_," snarled Tommy.

Rygog growled low in his throat.

Zedd stared at Tommy for some time. "I asked you how the invasion was coming along, Commander."

Tommy nodded slowly. "We have fourteen cities under our control with six currently being invaded. Plans have been made to expand to sixteen more cities by the end of next week."

"Excellent," said Lord Zedd. "The civilian casualty? And our soldiers?"

"On the civilian side, we have managed to keep it below five thousand, sir. We have lost 129 soldiers so far in the war, and all families have been notified."

Zedd nodded. "Where will you be attacking next?"

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose. "My troops will be moving to Rome next week. Though the city's population is not nearly as high as the others we have seized, if all goes well, we will be much stronger afterwards."

He knew the emperor did not understand what he was talking about, but it appeared that he trusted Tommy.

"I trust you to do what you feel is best, Commander. Is that all?"

"Yes," breathed Tommy tiredly. "I have nothing else to report on."

Zedd nodded. "Then this meeting is adjourned."

Tommy stood quickly, only to sit back down at Zedd's next words.

"Stay, Commander. I wish to speak with you… in private."

The teen tapped his nails rhythmically against the wooden table as the other two left, unsure as to what Zedd could possibly want with him.

"Is everything all right, Tommy?" asked Zedd after a brief silence.

Tommy blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"Scorpina told me of the injuries you suffered while in Berlin. Though you are here speaking to me, I can see that you are not yourself."

Tommy subconsciously ran a hand along his jaw, bristling slightly at the feel of stubble against his hand. He would need to shave soon.

"'M fine," he muttered softly. "A bit sore here and there, but nothing I can't handle."

Zedd nodded. "And mentally?"

The green ranger shot a startled look at the emperor. "Excuse me?"

'_He couldn't possibly know…'_

"You were inattentive during the meeting, and as Rygog pointed out, it is disrespectful not to listen to your emperor," said Zedd coolly. "Care to explain?"

'_No,' _Tommy thought moodily.

He looked down at the wood before him, nails scratching the polished furniture slightly.

"The Germans hit me with some type of nerve gas… it's been fucking with my concentration ever since, though it's starting to finally wear off. I believe the after-effects were hitting me at the time."

The emperor nodded. "What did Finster say about your condition? A lack of focus is dangerous on the battlefield."

"I'll be fine," said Tommy in a clipped tone. He glanced up at Zedd, realizing his mistake immediately for speaking to the emperor that way.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I've just been on edge."

"Drink some _Daem_," offered the emperor lazily. "It should take the edge off."

"I don't drink," the teen reminded him. "Alcohol is bad for a fighter."

"Earth alcohol, perhaps… _Daem_ is not the same as the tonics of your people by any stretch of the imagination. Drinking _Daem_ is not the same as ingesting poison as your people are so fond of doing."

Tommy opened his mouth to ask Zedd what he meant but refrained from speaking. It didn't matter – he wasn't going to drink it.

After what he pulled before, Tommy didn't trust Zedd enough to drink anything he offered willingly.

"How bad are the negotiations going?" asked the teen softly. He had completely missed what Zedd had said before. It was best he tried to catch up now while he could.

"Terribly," the older man confided. "If I don't come up with something soon, KAX will be under their control. I can't let that happen. I won't."

Tommy knew how important the KAX Union was to Lord Zedd. Whoever they decided to work with would shift the balance of power in the universe. Everything was at stake.

"I'm sure the problem will be resolved. Is there anything else, master?" asked the teen.

Zedd stared at the green ranger for some time. "That is all for now, Tommy. You may leave."

Tommy rose to his feet, heading for the door.

"Do remember to take care of yourself, Commander."

The teen turned to reply, only to see that the link was now off, a black screen where Zedd once was.

"Thanks," he muttered lowly, slightly confused.

Things had been off between him and the emperor since he had begun the invasion of Earth. _'No…it was long before that. Ever since…' _Ever since the day he and Kim were caught together.

'_Everything seems to go back to that, doesn't it?'_ he thought wryly.

Lord Zedd appeared to hold no grudge against the teen over the incident, and even with the disturbing news of what Lord Zedd did to him to keep Tommy under his control, the green ranger harbored no ill-will towards the emperor, though trust was now lost. Tommy understood that he was put in a position where he had no choice but to fight for Lord Zedd, but was gladly reaping the benefits of serving under the Dark Empire, despite the underhanded way Lord Zedd kept him at his side.

Tommy knew that regardless of what Lord Zedd intended, his loyalty to the Dark Empire stemmed more from respect and admiration than fear.

'_And yet…'_

The green ranger made his way out of the study, shutting the door behind him only to groan when he caught side of the hideous beast perched against the wall.

"What do you want, Rygog?" asked Tommy warily. The teen ran his fingers through his hair tiredly as he headed to his room, not bothering to check if Rygog was following him.

He knew he would.

"The emperor may trust you so blindly, but I'm onto you, green ranger," hissed the creature. "I know you're up to something."

"Well I guess Lord Zedd is just _lucky_ to have you around here, then," mumbled Tommy.

"I'm watching you closely…"

Tommy sighed. "You do that."

"…because I know you're not trustworthy. Looks can be deceiving… especially with you Earthlings," he rasped.

The teen inwardly sighed. The jabs from Rygog and others about humans were becoming tiresome. He wasn't particularly fond of xenophobes.

Tommy stopped, turning around so that he faced Rygog with a sardonic grin. "That's not necessarily true. One look at you made me think you were a complete jackass… seems I was right."

Rygog growled, stepping up so that he was close enough that Tommy could smell his rank breath. "My allegiance is to Lord Zedd only, _Commander_. Remember that."

The green ranger raised an eyebrow. "Is that a threat?" he asked calmly, and he was surprised at how even his tone was.

"Take it as you will."

The teen's eyes flashed green briefly before he grabbed Rygog roughly, shoving the being hard against the stone wall. The time for games had long passed. "Then take this as _you_ will… I don't take threats idly, Rygog, nor do I appreciate your persistence in trying to undermine me."

Tommy pulled the lieutenant closer, lifting the shorter man off the ground with his powers.

"Come at me again with such disrespect… I will_ end_ you, Rygog," he whispered, voice devoid of emotion.

Rygog's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat, Oliver?"

"I don't make threats. It's a promise." The green ranger shoved the shorter man into the wall, leaving a large dent.

The green ranger walked briskly to his room, arms burning from lifting the heavy creature in the air. Only after he was in his room behind locked doors did he release the pained groan, limbs shaking as he rested against the door.

'_What the hell was that, Tommy?'_ hissed one of the voices in his head. _'Are you mental? You can't go attacking officers just because they piss you off.'_

'_I know,' _hissed the teen angrily in his head. _'I don't know what happened…I just lost it.'_

His control over his anger was normally better than that. It was always difficult to keep Rygog from getting to him, but he had always managed.

Until now.

He wringed his shaking hands as he pushed off the door, willing them to stop shaking so much.

'_This really fucking hurts,'_ he thought to himself as he slowly crossed the room to his bed, a trail of clothes following behind him as he stripped.

He let out a pleasured moan as he fell onto the silk sheets of his bed, eyes closing immediately when his head touched the large fluffy pillows.

Finster was going to murder him tomorrow when he showed up in the medical bay, and he mentally prepared himself for the tongue-lashing he'd receive from not only the Claydoian but Scorpina as well. His lieutenant commander had looked at him with barely-restrained fury when she saw him walk into the meeting two hours ago, no doubt aware that he had left the safety of the medical bay but was unable to give him a piece of her mind due to Zedd's presence.

Leaving when he was supposed to be healing his sore body was not something either would like, but since when did he ever do what was good for him?

'_Enjoy the peace while you have it,'_ said the nicer voice in his head in mirth. _'You're gonna get it tomorrow.'_

"Shut the fuck up," Tommy mumbled tiredly into the softness of his pillow.

He was out before the voice had a chance to respond.

* * *

_As always, feedback is greatly appreciated. I'll try to get chapter 3 up as soon as possible. _


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:** Here's chapter 3. It's a pretty intense chapter, so be prepared. Hope you like it!_

* * *

**Outside Vatican City**

**Rome, Italy**

**One week later, Sunday**

**Local time, 2:10 PM**

"**Commander, what is the next move?**"

The green ranger grunted as he yanked his Dragon dagger from the throat of an Italian soldier, stretching his neck from side to side to make his muscles relax.

"We continue with the plan. I want the area secure, do you hear me?" he barked over the link.

He wasn't able to hear the response of his soldiers over the deafening blast that came from his right that sent him flying backwards several feet. Blinking rapidly, Tommy climbed to his feet, shaking his head to clear his vision.

A large tank rested about fifty yards away from him, its turret pointed away from his lean form.

"_Ferma! Mettere gi__ù__ l'arma!"_

Tommy cocked his head to the side, unsure of what they were trying to tell him.

A wry grin graced his lips. _'Does it really matter?'_

Tommy raised his dagger over his head slowly before drawing it down quickly in front of his body. It looked as if nothing happened, but it wasn't until the tank began to shake and rattle that it was apparent something was different.

The green ranger watched in amusement as the top of the tank opened quickly, several soldiers climbing out in wild panic. The tank made a loud noise before it sagged in on itself, unbalanced from being cut straight down the middle. Grinning, Tommy used his power to lift the two halves of the machine into the air, sending them flying outward, to crush the bodies of several soldiers before dropping directly on top of the wounded nearby.

Tommy let out a low laugh before turning around, surveying the mayhem around him. The streets of Rome were covered with dead soldiers, shrapnel, and large puddles of blood. Nearby buildings burned.

The green ranger carefully made his way through the mess, treating it like a game of hopscotch as he used the bodies of the dead to avoid staining his white boots with blood.

It was incredibly difficult to get it out of spandex once it set.

As he made his way across, he saw a throng of soldiers surrounded the target of the invasion, each holding a different weapon as they protected the outer walls.

Tommy jumped off the body of the last dead soldier, landing deftly on the ground to stand amongst his soldiers who were waiting for his signal.

"You really ought to move," he said gently. "We don't want to kill you… but you're putting us in a really bad position."

The leader of the group, a tan man with jet-black hair and green eyes began to speak rapidly to him in Italian, his eyes darting nervously around at the Piranhatrons flanking the green ranger.

Tommy rolled his eyes behind his visor, turning instead to his head general. "Anything?"

Zedd wanted all weapons and texts from the conquered cities seized and handled with excellent care. Expensive items meant nothing to the emperor, but books and artillery were invaluable.

"We found some weapons in the nearby buildings when we were clearing out civilians. Omega team has the government officials secured, Commander."

Tommy nodded idly, eyes fixated on a metallic glint at the soldier's feet. "Hand me that, Kronon," he ordered the soldier.

Kronon nodded before picking up the object and handing it to Tommy.

The green ranger whistled lowly, thoroughly impressed with the craftsmanship of the sword. "This is quite a find, Kronon. I think I'll take this," he said more to himself as he sheathed his Dragon dagger.

The Italian soldier that had been talking before began to scream at Tommy when he saw him holding the sword, eyes blazing with fury. Tommy took in the man's flushed face and wild gesticulating before eyeing the sword.

"You must be pretty damn important for him to get all riled up like this," he murmured.

The Italian grew louder and more frenzied the longer Tommy held the sword, and the sound of his voice began to grate on the teen's nerves. With a low growl, Tommy reared back with the sword before sending it flying forward, satisfied when it sank deep into the center of the man's chest, effectively shutting him up.

Silence fell over them as the man fell backwards, blood spilling forth from his mouth to dribble down his chin. The other Italian soldiers looked on in fear as Tommy approached the fallen man, pressing a foot to his abdomen as he yanked the Falchion sword from his body.

Slowly, the green ranger leaned down, squatting over the man's body and pulling him up by his collar. The man let out a strangled gasp, and Tommy smiled when he realized he was choking on his own blood.

The green ranger noticed the glimmer of gold around the man's neck, and he quickly reached beneath the man's shirt, holding his necklace with the pendant of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in his gloved hand.

"You can't understand English," whispered Tommy. He lifted the pendant up to the man's green eyes. "But you understand this. We're taking the Vatican… your great city. And we're going to destroy it." He smiled behind his visor.

"But don't fret. You're not getting special treatment… the same thing is happening in Mecca and Jerusalem, in Tirumala and Tibet…" He played with the pendant briefly; it was suddenly engulfed in green flames before it turned into ashes. His hand found its way to the man's scalp and he pulled tightly, chuckling lowly when the man winced in pain.

"God won't help you now… there is only Lord Zedd."

With a quick jerk of his arm and a loud crack, Tommy dropped the now lifeless man back to the ground, his neck at an unusual angle. The green ranger grabbed the sword and wiped the blood onto the man's uniform.

"Dispose of them," ordered Tommy. Alarmed cries rang out followed by several thuds to the ground as the Italians soldiers fell to the ground dead.

"Go inside and secure the area. I've already shown you what the workers look like inside the Vatican. Make sure to release them."

"And the others?" asked Kronon. By others, Tommy knew he was referring to the clergymen who lived in the actual city.

Tommy lifted the Falchion sword into the air, the sun shining brightly off of it. He ran a finger along its long blade before turning back to Kronon.

"Kill them all."

* * *

**Lunar Palace**

**Mess Hall**

**The Moon**

**Local time, unknown**

"May I sit, Commander?"

Tommy looked up from his steak tips, meat hovering inches from his mouth as he nodded to Scorpina. His eyes trailed back down to the medium rare meat in his hand before shoving it into his mouth and chewing harshly.

He had departed from the battle in Rome nearly an hour ago, leaving only once he was sure there were no longer any people left in the Vatican City. He had been thorough in his search behind the great walls and had left Kronon in charge once he knew the city had been vacated.

"You seem rather hungry today," commented Scorpina.

He shrugged, piercing several potatoes on his fork before swallowing them quickly. "Worked up an appetite."

She nodded. "I gather from your being here that the mission in Rome went well?"

He nodded, pausing to gulp down a glass of water before returning to his food.

'_I don't think I've ever been this hungry before.'_

"Yes, very well. The city should fall by tomorrow morning."

He could feel Scorpina staring a hole into the side of his face and sighed, dropping his utensils onto his plate. "What is it, Scorpina?" he asked impatiently, running a hand along the side of his face tiredly.

He really needed to shave.

"Why did you go after those people today?" she asked quietly. "Our orders are to not harm civilians."

"Our orders," he began, voice tight, "are to spare the innocent and remove those who pose a threat to the empire. That's what was done."

"Those people were not government officials, Tommy. The leaders of Italy were already taken care of. What happened today was a slaughter."

Her voice had risen sharply, drawing the attention of those sitting close by, including Rygog.

He narrowed his eyes. "The people of Earth receive leadership from more than just government officials."

His comment visibly threw her. "Come again?"

He sighed, elbows resting heavily on the cool metal table between them. "Imagine a higher power, a higher being of more strength than anyone you've ever heard of, including our master."

Scorpina scoffed. "One doesn't exist."

Tommy gave a lazy grin, index finger wagging at Scorpina mockingly. "So you say… but what you think doesn't matter. Only what's here." He turned his finger, tapping it against his temple repeatedly. "The people of Earth believe in something called God. The details aren't important, only the knowledge that such faith exists."

"I've never heard of this God in my travels around the universe," she commented with a raised brow.

The green ranger chuckled. "God isn't a person or a place… you can't find him. You can only believe."

"That sounds incredibly foolish," said General Havoc. "To believe in something you can't see? Can't touch? Humans put their faith in nonsense."

Brown eyes flashed green in response to the general's words. "That _nonsense_ is more powerful than you realize, Havoc. Millions of people believe in God… in different ways, but essentially it's the same concept. They believe a higher power exists, and they follow it faithfully." He paused. "More or less, anyway."

His attention went back to the now empty glass before him, and he traced its edge with his index finger.

"Lives have been lost in several battles on my planet because of people's faith, turning them against each other for no reason other than because they believe. Call it foolish, call it misguided… but don't doubt the power of faith."

Silence lingered after his words, and his gaze stayed fixed on the cup before him.

"What does this have to do with the death of those men?" asked Scorpina.

Tommy's eyes trailed upward to her face. "Simultaneous attacks were carried out today on cities of great importance in religious communities. They're the cities where their faith stems from or where a monument of great importance to their faith resides. By destroying them – "

"You've shattered their faith…in a sense," finished Rygog, who sounded unwillingly impressed.

The green ranger grinned, a lopsided smile on his face. "On the contrary, lieutenant… we've only pissed them off. Sure, destroying the cities has more than likely demoralized them, but it's their anger that I'm after. They need to be upset… to be angry at what's happened. When you take something precious from someone, they panic and become desperate. The first instinct that comes from desperation is anger. People lash out. The backlash won't fall on us; it'll fall on the governments, on the people that were supposed to protect them…"

"They'll be so busy dealing with the fallout from the citizens that it puts the governments in a weaker position than before," finished Scorpina.

"Precisely," said the teen. "The reaction will either be to give up… or to be so out of control that defeat is inevitable."

"An excellent plan, Commander," said Havoc with a sinister tone. "Impressive."

Tommy's eyes flashed green. "Good to know, Havoc… though I hope you are aware that your approval was neither sought after nor necessary."

The smile fell from Havoc's face, and Tommy had to hold back the urge to laugh. He turned back to his plate of food, quickly cutting a piece of steak. He could still feel the eyes of everyone looking at him. "Return to your meals," he ordered gruffly. "This discussion is over."

The clang of metal against metal was heard in the mess hall, along with the sounds of muffled conversation.

"He's right, you know," said Scorpina with a smirk. "That was quite impressive, Commander… and strategically the right move to make with the officers."

The green ranger paused. "What?"

His second-in-command rolled her eyes. "Come off it, Tommy. You know what you just did."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're not oblivious to the rumors, and even if you were, Squatt and Baboo would have surely told you by now how some of the generals doubted your allegiance to Lord Zedd… especially Rygog."

He visibly bristled at the name of the second lieutenant commander.

"Letting them overhear our conversation was a clever way of getting them to trust you."

Tommy kept his eyes focused on his food, though he couldn't fight the twitch at the corner of his lips. "I'm not admitting anything."

She rolled her eyes. "You already did."

The green ranger shot her a roguish grin before swallowing the last bit of food and rising to his feet.

"I'm headed to my quarters, Scorpy. If anyone needs me, tell them it can wait until tomorrow."

"But what if it can't?" she asked as he picked up his tray.

"It can." Tommy dropped off his dirty dishes on the nearby conveyor belt as he headed out of the mess hall.

The mess hall was located on the lower levels of the palace on the east side, forcing Tommy to take what felt like a million-mile trek back to his room. He wondered if he could convince Finster to install an elevator in the Lunar Palace as he ascended the fifth staircase, slightly out of breath from the exertion.

'_They just _had_ to have nine stories… shit.'_

The teen walked into the throne room, mesmerized by the eerie glow the Earth cast on the large room. It was strange to see the room so empty; the only time he came by was for a council meeting or to get to his room on the other side.

Slowly, he made his way to the balcony, hands resting on the cool railing as he stared out at the Earth. At this distance, it was impossible to see the hundreds of dead bodies littering the ground or hear the agonized screams from the various battles on Earth.

There was only calm, and he relished it.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of the Repulsascope, a thin layer of dust covering the forgotten telescope as it rested in the corner of the room. Curiously, he walked over to it, blowing off the dust as he trailed a finger along its black surface. It felt cold against his skin. No one bothered to use the Repulsascope anymore since Rita was… taken care of.

Tommy pressed his eye against the eyepiece, confused when he saw nothing but darkness.

'_Does this even still work?'_

'_Only one way to find out,'_ spoke up a voice softly.

The green ranger stood back, wracking his brain to remember the words Rita would say in the past when using the instrument.

"On," he tried, unsurprised when nothing happened.

"Go?" Nothing.

"Activate." Still nothing.

He sighed. "Knew it was a long shot. This thing hasn't been used in months. Why the hell should I expect it to find –"

The Repulsascope began to hum slightly, and it vibrated in its mount.

"–anyone," he finished lamely. "Hah… well, look at that." The green ranger looked through the telescope again, now able to see the Earth at the other end.

"Let's see…" said Tommy as he scratched at the short hairs growing along his jaw line as he thought of a person to test the instrument on.

He scoffed. _'Of course. He should be easy enough to find since he's always up to something stupid.'_

"Find… Eugene Skullovitch. He should be in Angel Grove but…" He felt a bit ridiculous having a conversation with an inanimate object.

The Repulsascope gave off a low whistling noise before returning to its normal state of humming. When Tommy looked through the eyepiece again, he saw Skull laughing hysterically in Angel Grove Park with Bulk, more than likely at something stupid.

The green ranger pulled back, eyes narrowed as he pondered what to do next.

It didn't take him long at all. "Find Sandra Oliver. She's in Angel Grove as well."

The picture at the other end of the telescope became blurry for several seconds before refocusing to reveal the face of Tommy's mother.

Sandra was in the living room again, though now she was sitting in a chair near the window. She had moved the La-Z-Boy recliner to the other side of the room, feet tucked beneath her as she looked out of the window with red eyes. She was still wrapped up in Tommy's blanket.

He knew why she sat there, and he felt his stomach lurch to see the state his mother was in.

'_She saw me there the other night… I wonder how many nights she's spent sitting there, waiting for me to come back…' _He suddenly felt like throwing up.

'_Look for someone else, Oliver. This isn't helping you in any way.'_

Tommy nodded absently, blinking against the stinging sensation in his eyes as he thought of someone else to look for.

"Find… find the pink power ranger," he whispered softly. "Quickly."

He tried to come up with a valid reason as to why he was looking for Kimberly, but he knew he had none. The two hadn't spoken since the invasion of Paris.

Kim appeared in the telescope, hair tied back in a ponytail as she sat on a stool in what Tommy recognized as Billy's garage. She was holding what looked like a computer chip in one hand and a screwdriver in the other. Trini was next to her, wearing goggles and fire gloves. He couldn't discern what the two were saying, but it was clear from their mannerisms that they were chatting with each other. Kim started laughing at something that Trini said, and he could see her face become flushed as she threw her head back in amusement.

His fist clenched tightly as he watched her, anger pooling in the center of his chest.

He had been waiting for word from her for days, _weeks_ even, and she was down there with her friends having a laugh? What the hell happened to staying in contact?

'_What are you on about?'_ a voice asked lazily.

The green ranger scowled._ 'I'm actually making an effort to handle this pregnancy and she's sitting there cracking jokes with the rainbow team? That's so selfish and such–'_

'_Bullshit,'_ finished the voice for him. _'You're chock-full of it.'_

The green ranger backed away from the telescope in alarm. _'No, I'm not! I'm just–'_

'_Being an inconsiderate jackass,'_ said the voice firmly. _'You're not the one that's actually pregnant. Kim has a lot more to lose from all of this than you do. In a few months, everyone will know what she's done… as long as you keep her off the radar, you're scot-free. Don't blame her for not wanting to be around the guy that literally fucked her life over.'_

The teen chose not to respond, opting instead to force the voice to the back of his mind and look back through the Repulsascope.

Kim was waving goodbye to Trini and Billy as she headed out of the garage. Her hair was loose now, chestnut locks caressing her slender shoulders. Her black sweater fit her snugly, and the low-rise jeans she wore did wonders for her hips and thighs. Her varsity cheerleading jacket hugged her frame as she walked in the direction of her house.

As his eyes scanned her lithe form, it suddenly hit Tommy how much time had passed since he had last been with a woman. The last time he had sex or physical intimacy of any kind was with Kimberly on that fateful day when everything went to Hell between them. He had never gone so long without a woman's touch before, and it startled him that he hadn't even noticed.

But watching the rhythmic sway of Kim's hips as she made her way to her house made it _painfully_ clear what he was missing.

'_Such a pig,' _said the other voice in his head with disgust. _'Two minutes ago, you were cursing her out her name… and now you're damn near salivating over her. Make up your damn mind.'_

"Shut up," whispered Tommy hoarsely as he was overcome with the familiar stirrings of arousal.

What he wouldn't give…

"Commander Oliver."

It took a few seconds for Tommy to realize he was being called, and even longer to process that it was _Rygog_ calling him by his actual title.

He straightened up, still facing the Earth. "Yes?" he croaked.

"I wanted to discuss the battle in San Francisco with you. The city will fall soon, and we need to begin plans for invading San Francisco next."

Tommy cleared his throat awkwardly. "What about it?"

"Rome will fall soon, and I am asking for your… assistance in this upcoming battle. After Los Angeles and now San Francisco, my soldiers will need assistance. Given that you are more familiar with this region, I think it would be best if we worked together."

The green ranger's eyes widened slightly before he turned around to face the lieutenant commander. Rygog appeared to be in pain, and Tommy briefly wondered if it may have physically hurt him to ask for help.

Behind Rygog stood Scorpina who appeared to be smirking, no doubt amused by the situation. For a moment, Tommy considered teasing Rygog for needing his help, but the sight of Scorpina slowly shaking her head kept him from doing so.

He understood what she was telling him: _Don't push it._

"Set up a time to meet with me in the morning with Baboo since he's in charge of my schedule. Tell him to give you the first available time before I head back to Rome, and we can discuss the details then."

Rygog nodded before walking off, but Scorpina remained where she was, a concerned look on her face.

"What is it?" asked the teen gruffly.

"Are you all right, Commander?"

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

She raised an eyebrow. "You look a bit… flushed."

Tommy crossed his arms over his chest before turning his back to her. "I'm fine."

Light scraping alerted him to her moving across the throne room floor.

"I didn't know this still works."

He blinked, slightly startled to see hear her voice so close to him. "What?"

"Rita's telescope." She ran a long finger along its length. "I thought it stopped working once I killed her, but I saw you using it when we came in."

He cleared his throat, unnerved with how close she was to the Repulsascope. If she looked through it, she would see Kim on the other side.

'_If I push her out of the way, it'll look suspicious… and I don't have time to tell it to find someone else.'_

"Yeah, it does. I'm as surprised as you are." He wracked his brain for an excuse as she bent down to look through the eyepiece.

"When I saw that it worked…" He saw her face scrunch up in confusion, no doubt confused as to why he was looking at the pink ranger. "…I decided to look and see what the power rangers were doing down in Angel Grove. I wanted to see if they've made any progress on their zords."

The silence that followed set him on edge, and he could feel the sweat gather on his palms as he waited for her to respond.

"I see," she said softly before moving to sit back up. "And have they?"

'_Wow… I can't believe she bought that,'_ said the younger voice in confusion.

"Me either," muttered Tommy lowly, slightly bewildered.

"What was that?" asked Scorpina with a bemused expression.

"Nothing, um… as far as I've been able to tell, they're still working on getting Zordon back, but now I'm a little suspicious."

Scorpina raised an eyebrow. "You think they're up to something?"

He bit his lip. "Most of their work takes place in their Command Center… haven't got a real clue what's going on."

The green ranger suddenly felt very embarrassed for his failure to keep an eye on the power rangers for so long. All this time, his attention had been devoted to fighting in the war; he hadn't given much thought to what needed his attention the most.

"Perhaps another breach of their base is in order?" she asked.

Tommy shook his head. "Break into the Command Center three times?" He laughed. "They're not _that_ stupid. We've captured over twenty cities so far. The power rangers have been inactive since this invasion started, and I can't imagine them letting it continue for much longer. You've seen the reports; the nations of Earth have been crying for help and after this latest attack…"

The power rangers had to know that the Dark Empire could see them from the moon. If Rita could with all of her incompetence, surely they could figure out that Lord Zedd was more than capable of doing the same.

And suddenly, Tommy was hit with a chilling thought.

'_What if you're only seeing what they _want_ you to see?'_ asked the older voice in his head.

With how fucked-up things were with Kim, he had no way of learning what the rangers were truly up to. Granted, the likelihood of her telling him would be low even if they were on good terms, but the possibility of seducing the truth from her certainly used to put the odds in his favor.

He tried to think back on what he saw a few moments ago through the Repulsascope.

'_They were working on something, I could clearly see that… though it is weird for them to be laughing and joking at a time like this. Their sense of honor wouldn't allow them to stomach being so complacent while Earth was being invaded. Kim was entirely too pissed off before about the invasion to just sit around fixing computer chips…' _

His eyes narrowed dangerously as something occurred to him. _'Why the _hell_ would Kim even be _touching_ a computer chip? She knows nothing about computers… and Billy wouldn't let her near anything in his lab…'_

'_And now you're _finally_ thinking like a commander,' _said the voice, now thoroughly pleased.

"Tommy?" Scorpina looked at him in concern at his sudden shift in attitude.

Tommy's jaw clenched, disappointed that it had taken this long for him to realize this. "They're _definitely_ up to something, Scorpina. What exactly, I'm not sure, but they are. I know it."

'_And I should've known it earlier… shit,' _he berated himself mentally.

"What do you want to do, Tommy?"

His nostrils flared briefly in irritation. "Alert all generals to an emergency meeting to be held tomorrow evening. They'll need to be on the watch for an attack by the power rangers. Something big. The rangers have had damn near a month to attack and haven't when I know they should be able to by now. It shouldn't take a month to find Zordon… it didn't before. And if he's back, their zords should be operational."

His eyes flashed green. "They're saving up for something powerful, and we need to be prepared." The green ranger stalked off, already coming up with a list of agenda items to be discussed in the next meeting.

"Understood, though I'm not sure there is a reason for much concern," she said.

Tommy paused. "What?"

"There are five of them… and even if Zordon were back and up to full speed and their zords were operational, it can't be expected for them to stop a planetary invasion _now_. We've hit too many cities in too many different regions of the Earth for them to stop our progress."

The green ranger remained silent, considering Scorpina's words carefully before turning to face her.

"If there's one thing I learned from serving under Rita, and trust me there was little to learn, it was to pay attention to what's in front of you. Her greatest problem was not recognizing a threat when it was staring her right in the face."

His voice dropped to a fierce whisper. "They've done _nothing_ in retaliation for _weeks_, Scorpina. I know the people behind those masks, and there isn't a _damn_ thing that would keep them from defending this planet with their lives… that's why they took the job. So doesn't it strike you as a little strange that they've basically let the Earth go straight to Hell without lifting a finger?"

The more he talked about it, the more Tommy was hit with the sickening feeling that something was going to happen soon. He really should have paid more attention.

"You're right. I'm just having difficulty imagining a great threat from five people, powers or not," said Scorpina.

Tommy gave a low snort before turning, heading out of the throne room to head to his quarters. There would be no sleep for him tonight; he needed to plan. Before he left the room, however, he paused in the open doorway.

"Scorpina?" he called out.

"Yes, Tommy?" she answered.

"Something else I learned from Rita? Don't underestimate the power rangers. As soon as we do that… we've already lost."

* * *

**Outside of Little Italy**

**San Francisco, CA**

**Next Thursday**

**Local time, 7:01 PM**

This was one of those times when Tommy Oliver _really_ wished he was wrong.

The heat from the nearby burning building hit him in waves, and he felt as if he might suffocate underneath his power suit. He could feel the sweat dripping down his tanned face beneath his helmet, and he wished he could wipe away the beads that found themselves in the five o'clock shadow he now sported.

He really should have shaved beforehand.

They had been fighting in San Francisco for about three hours. He and his army were assisting Rygog with the takeover of the city. Things had been going fairly smoothly for the first hour, when it was just the U.S. armed forces they were fighting.

Imagine their surprise when the rainbow brigade decided to show up with friends.

Tommy had been expecting to see Jason and the others at some point, and of course, the red ranger never failed to be predictable. Naturally, he was flanked by his teammates, each in a different ridiculous pose.

To their right, however, was a whole other group of power rangers. They had the same colors as the Earth team except for black; that ranger was replaced by a green ranger. Their power suits were different in design from the Earth team, each having an arrow of their respective color in white trimming on their chest. The cuffs of their gloves and boots were silver with black lining. Tommy remembered Goldar vaguely mentioning something about other teams, and he now regretted not paying attention back then.

"Jason! How wonderful for you and your lackeys to _finally_ make an appearance and help out around here. I thought you guys would never show," taunted Tommy. "And look at this, you have friends… isn't that cute? And who might you be?"

Their red ranger stood forward. "We are the Time Force rangers."

Brown eyes narrowed behind the green ranger's visor in confusion. "Time Force? What the hell are _you_ doing here? It's not like you brown-nosers to break the rules."

His knowledge on other ranger teams was limited, but he knew _for_ _sure_ that Time Force was not supposed to be here.

"We made an exception for you, green ranger," hissed the blue Time Force ranger.

Tommy grinned beneath his helmet, hands moving to free the two weapons at his side: his Dragon dagger and newly acquired Falchion sword.

"Then by all means…" His voice dropped to a whisper as his hands began to glow green. "Come get me."

Two hours later, Tommy found himself covered in ash, sweat, and blood. His arms were covered in lacerations from a brutal fight with the red and green Time Force rangers and their stupid Chrono sabers.

"Give up, green ranger?" asked a feminine voice.

Tommy smirked when he saw the pink Time Force ranger appear suddenly in front of him.

"My fight's not with you, little girl… though I'd be more than happy to kill you if you insist on getting in my way," he snarled.

"Don't call me _little girl_. There's nothing little about me," she hissed coldly.

"Wanna prove it to me?" he said with a leer. He used the pink ranger's momentary lapse at his words to his advantage, quickly throwing his dagger at her and embedding it into her shoulder. She gave a startled cry of pain.

"Jen!" Tommy heard a voice yell, and he rolled his eyes when he saw the red Time Force ranger run over.

'_Is every fucking red ranger in love with the pink ranger?'_

"Are you all right?" asked the red ranger.

The girl, Jen, nodded. "I think so, Wes."

"For fuck's _sake_… I didn't even hit anything major! The only thing she could possibly die from is you smothering her," Tommy commented nastily.

The red Time Force ranger growled angrily as he summoned his Chrono saber, charging wildly at Tommy. The green ranger barely managed to get his sword up in time to block the blow.

"Somebody's angry!" yelled Tommy with a wild laugh as he ducked a swipe to his head, rolling on the ground to land next to the fallen pink ranger. Quickly, he pulled his dagger from her shoulder, rolling his eyes when she let out a cry of pain.

"Hey now," he said slowly, pointing the bloody dagger in Wesley's direction while keeping the tip of his Falchion sword at Jen's throat.

"Let's not be hasty, Wesley," said Tommy in a singsong voice. "I'd really hate to rip out poor Jenny's jugular, but if you keep coming at me, the sword might just… _slip_."

Wes stood still for several seconds before dropping his saber. "Very good."

A rush of footsteps behind Tommy caused him to whirl the sword around quickly, stopping Trini in her tracks. "Trini… I thought I taught you better than that. You're supposed to be light on your feet."

He had the distinct feeling that Trini was scowling at him beneath her helmet, and the thought put a smile on his face.

"Now," he turned back to Wes, foot pressing harshly against the wound in Jen's shoulder as she cried out in agony. "Get down on the gr– "

Tommy's body went soaring through the air about thirty feet before he slammed into the front of a discarded army car, left arm dislocating upon impact. He blinked rapidly, shaking his head to clear himself of the blinding pain. In the distance, he could see Jason holding the Power Blaster, its barrel still smoking from firing.

A rain of bullets came at Tommy suddenly and he winced when one pierced his arm. He dropped down to the ground, dragging his body beneath the car as he crawled over to the other side. His left arm radiated pain in waves, and he grit his teeth as he pulled himself out on the other side. Pulling up into a seating position, Tommy clenched his jaw as he reset his arm, eyes watering slightly.

Breathing deeply to ease the pain, he took a chance and looked around the side of the jeep, only to turn back quickly when a missile flew at him, exploding upon impact with a decimated tank nearby.

"Shit," he breathed hoarsely.

Cackling in his ear caught his attention. It sounded like Kronon.

"Kronon! Kronon, can you read me?"

The sound of static was all Tommy heard for some time before Kronon's voice came over the line. "**I read you, Commander**."

"Status report?"

More static. "**We're under heavy fire**…" Static covered Kronon's voice. "…**red zone… immediate… evacuation to**…"

The green ranger groaned; he couldn't understand the message. He needed to find Kronon so they could regroup, but he had no idea where his general was. Teleportation was useless given that the enemy seemed to be everywhere at once.

"Kronon, listen. Don't stop trying to get in contact with me. I can't read your signal where I am, but keep trying until I get back in touch with you."

He needed a diversion.

Closing his eyes, Tommy concentrated on creating several little balls of energy in his hand, each no larger than a marble. Rearing back, he threw the balls overhead as far as he could, and they exploded on impact, shaking the ground in their wake.

Tommy took that time to run full speed to the nearest building. He ducked behind a parked SUV, wincing when bullets shattered the glass windows. He shook off the glass, looking around quickly to see if he could find anything nearby he could use to his advantage.

Frightened faces in a nearby pizza parlor gave him an idea, and he ran as fast as he could to the small brick building. The people inside backed away in fear as he approached, and he jumped headfirst through the window, wincing when he felt shards of glass piercing his skin. He landed on his left arm, and groaned in pain.

'_Get up, Tommy. You need to keep moving.'_

He knew they wouldn't shoot inside the restaurant, not with so many civilians nearby. Tommy caught sight of a middle-aged woman, and he roughly grabbed her by her leg. She screamed loudly in fright while frantically trying to kick him off.

"Shut up," he growled, twisting her arm behind her roughly.

Bending low, he grabbed a large piece of glass from his thigh, raising the bloody weapon to her throat. His gaze fell on the men huddled up on the ground in fear.

"You six, stand around us in a shield. If they try to shoot me, I want one of you getting hit first."

The men sat still, and Tommy wasn't sure if it was from shock, fear, or defiance.

"I don't have time for this," he grunted lowly. Angrily, he pointed a hand at one of the men before sending a bolt of green energy at him, blowing a hole through his skull. Screams rang out in the small building when blood and tissue landed on the wall behind the now dead man, and the woman in Tommy's arms began to cry hysterically.

'_What the hell happened to no civilians killed?'_ asked the young voice in alarm. _'Have you lost it?'_

'_He hasn't lost anything,' _the older voice spoke up happily. _'If anything, he's _finally_ found it. Lord Zedd will understand why those people had to die.'_

"_Shut_ the hell _up_, I'm not going to kill you!" the teen yelled at the frightened woman in annoyance, grip tightening on her considerably. The combination of her screaming and the voices in his head was making him restless.

'_Because that'll surely calm her down…'_ said the younger voice irritably. _'You're only proving just how much of a lunatic you are. She has every right to be scared… you _murdered_ the Pope!'_

'_That was different,'_ argued Tommy.

'_Well, I mean _obviously_ you're right,'_ continued the voice sardonically._ 'Because who wouldn't get that you're clearly stable… which is why you just blew a hole through a defenseless guy in front of all these people here for not wanting to take a bullet for you…'_

The green ranger had no response to that, and chose instead to focus on the situation at hand.

"The _five_ of you… stand up and act as a goddamn shield, or you'll be just like him." The men rushed to their feet, arms linked together as they surrounded Tommy and the woman.

The teen would have taken the back door, but the likelihood that it wasn't guarded by now was extremely low. Teleporting to the roof was pointless; he could hear the helicopters outside. He needed insurance that they wouldn't kill him on sight, and these people served that purpose.

"Now, what we're gonna do is walk to the door and talk to the nice people out there… okay?" He didn't wait for their response as he forced them outside onto the sidewalk.

"Let them go, green ranger!" Jason yelled from behind a barricade.

'_This has all the makings of a setup,'_ warned the dark voice. _'You can't trust anything that bastard says.'_

"So you can shoot me?" asked Tommy incredulously, glass piercing the skin of the sobbing woman's throat. "You're even stupider than you look!"

"If you release the hostages, we'll let you go," promised Jason. "We don't want anyone to get hurt."

'_He wants you dead, Tommy, just like before. Think… look around you.'_

The green ranger's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and he briefly caught sight of the setting sun's reflection off of something high up from the building across the street.

"You're a terrible liar, Jase," he hissed before yanking the crying woman in front of him and ducking, unsurprised when she fell over in a heap, a bullet hole in her forehead.

Tommy grabbed one of the men in his human shield, a strong hand holding the man to him by his throat. The people in the restaurant were sobbing loudly at the sight of the dead woman.

"You want someone else to die, red ranger? Call off the snipers!" shouted Tommy angrily.

The rigidity in the red ranger's posture let Tommy know that Jason was pissed, but he saw Jason lift a stiff hand and wave to signal for the snipers to stand down. Tommy wasted no time in believing anything they did, using the man in front of him to back inside the pizza parlor.

A rush of feet alerted Tommy to someone running at him from behind, and he quickly moved out of the way. The sound of flesh being ripped filled the air, and he looked on in amusement when he saw his previous hostage staring down at a butcher knife in his stomach.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. _'I didn't even know they used butcher knives for pizza. Interesting.'_

The wounded man fell to his knees in shock, blood pouring out of his wound. Tommy yanked out the knife irritably before slamming it into the man's skull, killing him instantly.

'_He was going to die anyway… better to end it now,' _reasoned the older voice.

The green ranger grabbed the attacker by the scruff of his neck. "See what you did?" he hissed.

'_Make an example out of him, Tommy. They need to learn what the penalty is for defiance.'_

The teen pointed at the men who were in his human shield. "You _four_… stand guard at the wall. I want them to see your faces."

He looked around at the other frightened patrons. "As for the rest of you…" Tommy turned to the man he held in his grip, breaking his neck swiftly before dropping his body with a thud. He landed next to a small family, and they cried loudly when he fell.

"Let this be a lesson to all of you: don't try to be a hero. Stay down on the ground, hands behind your head." The people moved to do as he said while Tommy moved to the back of the restaurant into the kitchen.

'_Jesus Christ... look at their faces, Tommy; they're terrified of you!' _The green ranger looked out at the horrified patrons, tears streaming down many of their faces.

'_As they should be,' _growled the older voice. _'The power of the green ranger should strike fear into all enemies.'_

'_Enemies?'_ repeated the younger voice incredulously. _'These people aren't his fucking enemies! They were _hiding_ in this goddamn parlor to get _away_ from the fight that _he_ brought to them while they were out trying to live a normal life! He pulled them into this!'_

'_There are always casualties of war,'_ said the sinister voice coolly. _'He knows this.'_

"Stop arguing," whispered Tommy fiercely. They were giving him a headache.

"**Commander**."

Tommy sighed in relief. _'Finally.'_

"Yes, Kronon?"

"**Scanners indicate you are in the heavily guarded building on the perimeter. I suggest that you leave now**."

Tommy looked around the small kitchen. The ovens were still on, and he could smell the pizza cooking inside. He took in the many pipes along the walls and ceilings, specifically the large one leading to the oven.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the men guarding the entrance attempting to leave. Tommy grabbed a knife from the counter quickly, throwing it at the man with alarming speed so that it dug into his calf. The man gave a startled cry as he fell down to one knee.

'_I guess I should be grateful you didn't kill him, too,'_ said the young voice snidely.

"I told you not to move!" shouted Tommy. "Now stand up and guard the fucking door!"

"**The black ranger is leading an ambush of the building from the back. You'll be outnumbered**."

Tommy rolled his eyes. _'Typical Zack… sneaky little shit.'_

"Can you break the barricade?"

"**Not in time to stop them, sir**."

The green ranger closed his eyes briefly. "How much time do I have?"

"**About a minute and a half, sir**."

He clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Great. Kronon, send me your coordinates." Light beeping inside his helmet indicated that the coordinates were received. "I'll see you shortly. Oliver, out."

Tommy stretched his neck tiredly as he headed out of the kitchen, walking around slowly to stand in the middle of the room of hostages. "I'm really sorry about all this," he said with an apologetic sigh.

"Bet this isn't what you all were expecting when you came here today, huh?" he asked with a genuine laugh.

No one else laughed with him.

"Help is on the way. A team is coming to rescue you… but they won't be here in time." Tommy played with the gold shield of his suit idly. "I'm going to blow up this building."

'_Are you serious?'_ the young voice asked in disbelief.

Panic spread like wildfire in the small room, and Tommy raised a finger to the mouth of his helmet as he shushed them.

"Calm down," he said soothingly, both to the hostages and the voice in his head. "I'm going to let everyone leave, though I suggest you do it quickly. You only have about… oh, ten seconds or so."

The rush of people to the door made Tommy chuckle as he closed his eyes, and he whistled softly to himself. Playfully, he pointed two fingers toward the kitchen, opening one eye to line them up with the small white pipe near the ceiling. He waited until he could hear the rustling of footsteps at the backdoor before making his move.

Concentrating intently, the green ranger let out a short green beam of energy that shot to the back of the kitchen, colliding perfectly with the pipe.

The pipe full of natural gas.

"Boom," he whispered before teleporting out of the restaurant, landing seconds later next to Kronon on the other side of San Francisco.

The faint explosion from the other side of the city barely registered in his mind.

"What's going on?" he asked his general.

"Very little, sir," admitted Kronon. "It appears that the bulk of their armed forces went after you on that side. We're only fighting a small troop over here and a few of the rangers."

Tommy nodded, choosing that moment to survey the area. There were about forty U.S. soldiers fighting on this side of the city, along with the yellow Time Force ranger, the blue Earth ranger…

And _her_.

His stomach did an unsettling roll when he saw Kim launch herself at a nearby enemy, running up his body with ease before wrapping her legs around his neck and flipping him over.

She was incredibly sexy when she was being lethal.

"Kronon, hand me a weapon," asked the green ranger without breaking his gaze away from Kimberly's supple form.

When he felt the cool metal in his gloved hands, though, Tommy looked down in excitement. "Oh, I _like_ these…" he said huskily, twirling the curved blades in his hands. The weapons looked like katana, except the blades were black, as if carved from onyx. Along the blades were words etched in silver. From the style, it looked Xybrian in origin.

"Where the hell did you get these from, Kronon?"

The Piranhatron general shrugged. "Killed a Xybrian soldier some time ago. Spoils of war... never use 'em, though."

The green ranger nodded distractedly, mesmerized by the weapons. "Mind if I take them off your hands?"

Kronon shook his head. "Not at all, sir."

"Excellent. Oh… one more thing?" He pointed over to the north side of the city. "My dagger and sword are over there in the red zone. Have someone retrieve them for me."

"Yes, sir."

The green ranger gave him an appreciative nod before running full speed into the battle towards the small group of soldiers. A flurry of bullets came his way and he ducked down on the ground, flattening his body so that they didn't hit him. Thinking quickly, Tommy grabbed a nearby dead body, holding it in front of him to use as a shield until he could find cover. He could feel the body in his hands shake as it was filled with bullets.

Tommy took refuge in a large building that looked close to collapsing, and he rested his human shield on the ground at his feet. The green ranger tilted his head curiously before lifting the body against the wall, seating the dead soldier in an upright position.

Across from him was a group of about twenty soldiers hiding in a makeshift trench; the rest were out fighting in the open. Rubbing his hands together, Tommy created five golf ball-sized energy balls.

"Let's make this more interesting, shall we?" he asked his companion.

He turned to the dead soldier. "It'd be more fun if I could play with these like baseball or golf… but that'd cause a pretty big accident since they explode on impact. So I guess throwing will do."

"Do you think they'll make it?" He frowned when the soldier simply stared at him with lifeless eyes. "You're just a chatterbox, aren't you?"

With a sigh, Tommy turned back to the balls before jumping out behind the wall and throwing them out into the open. Two of them landed in the trench while the other three went off in the open area, creating a large dust cloud. He grinned when he heard the pained cries of several soldiers.

"Alright… now they're out in the open." He grabbed the katana. "Wish me luck, man."

When the soldier said nothing, Tommy crouched down, patting his cheek gently. The man's head lolled to the side, blood seeping from his neck.

The green ranger sighed. "I so enjoy our talks."

Tommy stalked off into the dust cloud with purpose, eyes searching carefully for any movement. He paused when he heard the loud crunch of boots on gravel, and he waited patiently for the person to show himself.

To his surprise, it was not one but four soldiers huddled together as they tried to maneuver their way through the dust. Tommy grinned widely as he hid himself in the cloud, blending in as he stalked them.

He waited for one of them to almost back into him before grabbing them around the shoulders and slitting their throat slowly. He caught the body as it sank to the ground, and then dragged it into the shadows.

The next soldier that came near him met a more gruesome fate, having found himself impaled with both katana, one in the neck and the other in the stomach. The green ranger pushed him off his blades with his feet, and they hit the ground with a loud thud. The sound caught the ear of the remaining soldiers, and Tommy waited until they were in the right position before swinging the blades skillfully, decapitating both.

Tommy stared down at the bloody blades in his hands. "These are _awesome_," he said with a breathless laugh, adrenaline coursing through him.

The teen felt almost drugged from the pleasurable rush of killing the soldiers. The smell of blood and death was usually quite gross to him, but now there was an almost… _arousing_ quality to it.

The snapping of a twig caught his ear, and he once again disappeared into the shadows. He proceeded to hunt the remaining soldiers in the thick cloud, thoroughly enjoying the game.

It wasn't until several minutes later that the dust finally settled, leaving one remaining soldier in the area. Tommy's limbs burned furiously and his suit was bloodied as he made his way to the soldier, intent evident in his posture. The soldier, startled from the green ranger's sudden appearance, fell backwards in fright, gun tumbling from his hand. Tommy used his powers to incinerate the gun, leaving scorch marks where it once was.

"Don't do it," said a voice from his left, and Tommy turned to see Billy with his power lance trained on him.

"We don't want to fight you," said another voice. "Just let him go."

Tommy blinked when saw the yellow Time Force ranger at his right, Chrono blaster aimed at him.

He laughed darkly behind his helmet before removing the katana from his right hand and pointing his hand palm upward at the soldier.

"Tommy, NO!" Billy shouted.

A burst of energy came from his palm, blowing a hole through the soldier's face, leaving him dead on the ground. The blood and tissue flew outward, landing in a wide spray on Tommy's suit. He grunted in disgust when he realized his visor was covered in blood. _'Great.'_

The green ranger sighed dramatically. "I guess now you just _have_ to fight me. Oh well."

The yellow Time Force ranger stood stunned before shaking her head solemnly. "The legends do you no justice, Oliver. You really are sick."

Tommy turned to her with genuine surprise. "Legends? There are legends about me in your time? Please, tell me more."

"There's nothing else to tell," she snarled. "Only that you live up to your reputation."

He shrugged. "I guess that's good." Tommy scratched the back of his neck. "What's your name, yellow ranger? I'm at a terrible disadvantage. You seem to know my name, but I have no idea who _you_ are."

"Katie," she said shortly before shooting at him with her Chrono blaster.

Tommy jumped out of the way at the last second, allowing the beam to graze his shoulder. His eyes flashed green in anger. "You really shouldn't have done that."

He ran at her with a fierce cry, swinging the blades skillfully as he put her on the defensive. Tommy realized quickly that he was overpowering her, and he laughed loudly when she stumbled from a vicious blow. A quick movement to his side caught his attention and he turned with wild eyes, only to jump back when a swirl of dust came at him.

The green ranger wiped fiercely at his helmet, panicking when he could no longer see a thing. The dirt had mixed with the blood on his helmet, causing it to stick to his visor. It was already getting dark with the sun setting completely; with the dirt, he was practically blind.

"God dammit, Billy!" he shouted as he feebly wiped at the dirt, only succeeding in making it worse.

"Can't fight if you can't see," he heard the blue ranger taunt before feeling a hard kick to his stomach.

The green ranger gave out a grunt before flying backwards when a powerful blast followed the kick. His head slammed against the ground hard, and he let out a pained gasp.

'_Get up, Oliver. Don't let them capture you,'_ hissed an angry voice in his head.

"**Commander! Commander, are you all right**?"

Tommy coughed weakly. "Just fine."

"**I'm sending in a unit to** –"

"No," ground out Tommy angrily. "Don't send anyone. They're _mine_."

"**But sir** –" Tommy never heard what Kronon had to say as he ripped off his helmet, throwing it off to the side in anger. He climbed up to his feet, katana in each hand. His eyes were solid green, and he could feel the anger radiating from his body in waves.

"Nice trick blinding me, Billy. Thought you guys were above cheap shots."

"Sometimes we do what we must when it is demanded of us," replied the blue ranger tersely.

A startled gasp caught both men by surprise, and Tommy was confused when he saw the yellow ranger backing away from him slowly.

"Katie?" Billy's voice was laced with concern.

"_You_? You're Tommy Oliver… I didn't… oh God…" Tommy had the sneaking suspicion that if her helmet were off, she would be staring at him with wide eyes.

He grinned. "Well, who else would I be? Didn't think I'd be so handsome in person, huh?"

The yellow ranger didn't respond, still in seeming shock at seeing Tommy's face.

"Katie," said Billy, his voice stronger now.

"You never told us it was _him_!" she accused the blue ranger angrily.

"I don't see why that matters. You came to us knowing who he was," said Billy defensively.

"There's no documentation of his face," she said fiercely, gaze still locked on Tommy. "We never knew what he looked like."

"Well, now you're aware… but that shouldn't change anything, Katie," reasoned Billy, confusion evident in his voice.

She finally turned to the blue ranger. "It changes _everything_, Billy!"

Tommy watched them curiously, confused by the yellow ranger's reaction to seeing him without his helmet on.

"This explains so much…" she said weakly.

"What do you –?"

Tommy let out a loud growl. "I'm still here, you know… and I don't like being ignored."

The two rangers turned to him, as if finally remembering he _was_, in fact, still there.

The green ranger sprang into action, charging at them quickly. They managed to block his blows, though he could tell it strained them to fight him while he used his powers. Tommy could handle fighting both rangers at once, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to last long. The injuries to his arms, while not life-threatening, were still serious enough to put him at a disadvantage if he fought for an extended period of time.

A piercing cry of pain followed by an explosion across the battlefield caught his attention, and his eyes widened when he saw Kimberly on the ground unmoving, in a pile of rubble. Scorpina stood over her, sword in hand.

'_No!'_

He shoved Billy back several feet before focusing his attention on Katie. Tommy delivered a fierce kick to the yellow ranger's head, sending her crashing to the ground before slashing Billy across his torso with the katana. The blue ranger fell on the ground with a cry, hands brushing against the cut on his chest.

The green ranger knew he could kill both rangers then and there… but with Scorpina coming after Kim, he had no time. He took off towards them quickly, pushing his legs much harder than he ever had before.

"Scorpina!" he yelled forcefully when he reached them, startling her so much that she was momentarily paralyzed.

The lieutenant commander shot him a bemused glance before turning back to the unresponsive Kimberly, sword ready to deliver the deadly blow. Tommy jumped in front of her blade, blocking her with his katana and shoving her back. Scorpina looked at him heatedly before making another attempt to kill the pink ranger, only to be stopped again by Tommy pushing her back.

"Commander, what are you _doing_?" she yelled in frustration, weapon turned on him.

"The blue and yellow rangers are over there. I want you to take care of them. I'll handle the pink ranger," he rasped as he pointed at them in the distance, gaze never breaking from Scorpina

Scorpina looked at him with a mixture of confusion and fury. Her sword hovered near his face and he refused to lower his blades. The two faced off, chests heaving from adrenaline as they maintained defensive postures. From the corner of his eye, he could see the shallow rise and fall of Kimberly's chest as she lay on the ground; he needed to check on her to see if she was all right.

'_You don't _need_ to do anything, Tommy,'_ reminded the young voice. _'You're choosing to… I wonder why…'_

Tommy could feel the stares of nearby soldiers on them, and he knew they were confused to see the two leaders so combative. Still, they wouldn't approach them unless he and Scorpina started fighting.

"You were _handling_ them when I arrived, Commander. I don't see why we have to suddenly switch places." Her grip tightened on her sword, her knuckles white.

Tommy repeated, "_I_ will take care of the pink ranger." His body was tense, prepared to come to blows with his second-in-command if necessary.

Scorpina looked astounded. "You left them _alive_ just to come over here and _take care_ of her?"

'_When she says it like that, it sounds incredibly stupid…'_ pointed out a voice.

The green ranger could feel the rage coming from her as he moved to stand over Kimberly, physically blocking her from Scorpina's gaze. "Go over there and get rid of the other rangers."

"Not until you tell me what the _hell_ is going on, Tommy!" she yelled at him, getting in his face.

'_Yes. Explain yourself, Oliver,'_ said a voice amusedly.

"I don't have to explain anything to you. I gave you a direct order, _lieutenant_ commander," he hissed coldly, face inches away from hers. "I will not repeat myself. You are wasting time by talking to me and letting them escape. Go _now_."

The two remained locked in an intense stare, and it was only when Kim softly moaned at their feet did Tommy look away. Scorpina's eyes traveled between the pink and green rangers, and Tommy swallowed thickly when he saw her eyes go cold.

'_Shit…'_

"Yes, sir," Scorpina snarled out through gritted teeth before stalking off to the other rangers. Tommy didn't miss the disgusted look she sent his way; he had never seen such anger on his second-in-command's face.

He waited until she was several feet away before dropping his katana and grabbing Kim by her shoulders. The pink ranger let out a small cry of pain at his touch.

"Kim, are you all right?" he asked lowly, only getting a faint moan in response.

Glancing around, he saw that the soldiers were distracted by the appearance of the rest of the power rangers and knew this was his one shot at getting Kim to safety without being seen. Tommy noticed a nearby building and quickly scooped her up, pulling her with him behind a nearby wall out of anyone's sight. He unclipped her helmet and pulled it off of her, disturbed to see her pale face as she gasped desperately for air. Her chestnut locks were stuck to her forehead from sweat. She was looking at him with an unreadable expression.

"Shit, Kim…" he muttered, checking her over for any serious injuries. "Were you hit in the stomach?"

Kim shook her head before wincing.

"I'm surprised you're letting me touch you," he admitted.

"That's because my arm's broken," she ground out.

He raised an eyebrow, now noticing the way she cradled her unnaturally bent arm to her body. "Let me see that," he said, grabbing her arm gently.

She wiggled, trying to get away from him without doing more damage to herself. "Dammit, Kim! I'm trying to help you. I can't stop you from fighting while pregnant, but I can at least keep you alive. I saved you, didn't I?"

She stopped moving, gasping softly when her arm was engulfed in a green glow. Seconds later he released her, and she rotated her arm experimentally, surprise evident in her face.

"See?" He smiled lightly at her.

His smile disappeared when she cocked her fist back, slamming it directly into his left eye. He stumbled backwards, falling on to the ground with a groan. Tommy gasped harshly when Kim pounced on him, arms flying at a rapid pace as she began to hit him repeatedly, fists connecting with any part of him she could reach.

"Kim – ow – god _dammit_ – get OFF of me!" he yelled, hands wrapping around her thin wrists to keep her from hitting him.

She was breathing harshly as she straddled him, and he sat up, face centimeters from hers.

"Whatis your probl–"

Kim slammed her head into his hard, forcing Tommy to release her as stars exploded behind his eyelids. He grimaced at the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, tongue throbbing in pain where he accidentally bit it. The pink ranger resumed hitting him as hard as she could, and he could feel pain radiating from his jaw. Thinking quickly, he carefully shoved her off of him, rolling onto his stomach before climbing to his feet.

He gave a startled gasp when he felt her jump onto his back, and he winced when she used her powerful thighs to squeeze hard around his middle, crushing his ribs painfully. Her arm was wrapped around his neck and he wheezed as she cut off his air supply. Tommy stumbled back into a wall, slamming her into it repeatedly until she broke her grip.

He fell to his knees, desperately gasping for air, only to gasp when she delivered a swift kick to his face. He rocked onto his back cradling his face, and he could feel the blood pouring from his nose. Kim lifted her leg to kick him again, but he grabbed her ankle, yanking hard so that she fell down onto her back. She cursed when her head slammed into the ground, and Tommy took the chance to crawl on top of her. She tried to hit him again, hands searching for his face. Tommy gripped her wrists hard, forcing them down so that her arms crossed her chest in an 'X'.

"What the _fuck_ is your problem!" he yelled at her before spitting out blood on the ground beside them. "Jesus, Kim! Are you trying to bash my skull in?"

'_I think that answer's pretty obvious,'_ commented the young voice wryly.

"That would be the point," she said nastily, wiggling to get from under him. "Why did you save me? How did you even know I was in trouble?"

"Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked angrily, dodging her questions. "And what the hell were you thinking taking on Scorpina in your condition? You're supposed to be smarter than that."

She rolled her eyes. "You know the answer to that question."

He pushed her arms down hard, causing her to groan. "No, I don't. I've been trying to work out this fucked up situation with you, and you're not even trying. I checked under the rock four times and nothing… I can't make things work by myself."

He heard a groan in his head. _'Do you just have an infinite list of things to say that will piss her off?'_

Kim's eyes widened in fury. "Make things _work_? What the _hell_ do we have to work out, Tommy? You're fucking insane. You think I'm going to let you anywhere _near_ my child with the shit you've done?"

"Our child," he corrected as his face scrunched up in confusion. "And what you do you mean what I've done? I haven't done anything!"

She stared at him in shock. "Tommy… _you killed the Pope_! Your army burned down Mecca! Jerusalem is in ruins, along with the other dozens of cities that have been terrorized by your empire!"

He growled. "It's my job, Kimberly! That's what I have to do!"

"Then why the hell do you have to be so fucking good at it!" she screamed at him with wet eyes in frustration before sighing, calming herself. "As a mother, it's my job to keep my child safe from harm."

"_Our_ child," he stressed. "And that's why you're fighting, right?" he questioned in a caustic tone. "Because _that_ makes _perfect_ sense."

"I'm fighting to keep the world safe _for_ my child," she stated, and he bristled at her use of the word _my_. "To keep my baby away from the people that threaten that world."

"Even if it's their father you're keeping them from?" he asked.

"_Especially_ if it's their father," she hissed. "My child will be nothing like you if I can help it."

His stomach tightened at her hateful words. "You can't keep me from our child, Kim. I won't let you."

She laughed at this. "And how will you manage that, Tommy, hmm? Gonna kidnap me? Take me back to the Lunar Palace and lock me away in your room? I'm sure that'll go over well with Zeddy."

"This isn't funny!" he shouted at her.

"Nothing about any of this is funny, Tommy! I made a horrible mistake by sleeping with you, and I'm paying for it now. My baby won't suffer because of what I did."

"Our baby," he corrected sharply again, annoyed at her constant refusal to acknowledge his part in the child's conception. "This is my child, too."

Her eyes narrowed. "You don't even want this baby, so stop trying to use that line on me. It won't work."

'_Ehh… she's got a point there, bro.'_

"So you can read my fucking mind now?" he asked harshly. "You don't know shit about me or how I feel about the baby, Kim."

"I know that my child –"

"_Our_ _child!_" he nearly screamed at her, forcing her into stunned silence. "Stop calling our baby yours like I'm not the father!"

Kim stared at him intently for several seconds. "Do you want to be a father to this child, Tommy?"

He was surprised by how soft her voice was and by the frankness of her question. "I-I mean…"

"Then do what a father would do, a _good_ father," she stressed, not giving him the chance to answer. "You're too much of a coward to leave Zedd, you've already proven that, and by now, I know better than to expect you to have an epiphany and do the right thing."

He scowled. "And what would that be?"

"Stay out of my child's life." Her tone was pleading.

The young voice growled. _'There she goes with that __**my**__ shit again… unless it was an immaculate conception, she really needs to stop saying that. It's your baby, too.'_

"Tommy, I'm _begging_ you… leave us alone. I don't expect anything from you. I just want my baby to be safe, and the only way that's possible is if you're gone. This child deserves a father who is _sane _and puts them first… that person isn't you."

Tommy's eyes flashed green in irritation, irritated by the truth in her words. "Who do they deserve then? Someone like _Jason_?" he spat out bitterly.

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "But I can't give them that now."

The green ranger said nothing, pushing himself off of her angrily to sit back.

Kim stared at him with guarded eyes, pulling herself up to sit across from him. She looked at him for some time before rising on shaky legs so that she stood over him. "You won't have a part in this child's life, you understand? At most, you're a sperm donor."

'_Damn… she's vicious,'_ spoke up the more youthful voice. _'I like her.'_

Tommy felt as if he had been slapped, and he looked up at her with a hateful expression.

Her hand made its way to her stomach. "I don't want this baby to know what kind of monster their father was and the horrible things he did."

The green ranger stood slowly, the familiar feelings of anger coursing through his body. He glared at her with malice, eyes flashing green before turning and heading back into the fight.

"Where are you going?" she asked suddenly.

"Said it yourself, Kimberly, I'm a _monster_. Where the fuck do you _think_ I'm going?" He scooped up his katana off the ground as he walked away from her. "To do what I do best."

'_Really? You're leaving just like that? You're weak,' _said the darker voice in disgust. _'You let a woman control your emotions… how disappointing.'_

'_Shut up,'_ seethed the green ranger. _'I know a losing battle when I see one.'_

'_If you were a stronger man, you would have killed her for speaking to you like that,' _said the voice tightly.

'_Get out of my head,'_ he commanded. _'I don't need your shit right now.'_

The teen stepped out into the open, eyes adjusting to the darkness. A small part of him had hoped that Kim would follow behind him, grab him by the arm and try to makes amends.

But of course, she didn't. She just let him walk away.

'_And why should she stop you? There wasn't a single thing she said back there that wasn't true,' _accused the youthful voice. _'Don't get mad because the truth hurts.'_

It _did_ hurt, and that's what was most upsetting of all. Her words hurt more than they should, more than he cared to admit, but he wouldn't let her see that.

Tommy's fists clenched tightly around the hilts of the katana, and he allowed his anger to feed off of the pain he felt. He noticed more soldiers in the area than before and noticeably more tanks. Rygog was in the middle of a fight with Zack and the red Time Force ranger about 200 yards away, and behind him, soldiers on both sides were shooting at each other in the darkness.

The blades in Tommy's hands were engulfed in green flames as he watched on from a distance, channeling his frustration and anger in order to fuel his powers. The light from his powers caught the attention of some of the enemy troops across the field, and he saw three of the tanks turn their turrets on him.

The green ranger raised his blades in front of him in an 'X' before bringing them down quickly to his sides, sending out two large waves of green energy at blinding speed towards the tanks. The vehicles were surrounded by the green energy before they exploded, charred metal and severed limbs flying everywhere.

Tommy ran towards the fight as quickly as he could, not giving anyone time to react. He jumped high into the air, landing deftly behind an unsuspecting soldier. He quickly thrust his swords into the woman's back before throwing her fiercely off of his swords onto the ground. Bullets hit his torso and he laughed maniacally when he felt them embed into his under-armor. Some of the bullets found their way into his arms, but he forced himself to ignore the pain.

The soldiers stopped shooting when they saw him still standing, and Tommy wondered what a sight he must be to them, still standing after being shot at in close range.

He looked at them with glowing eyes, katana dripping with their fallen friend's blood.

"My turn."

* * *

_All feedback is appreciated. Please read and review!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note:** It's been awhile, right? LOL. Here's chapter 4! As always, please read and review. Feedback is greatly appreciated!_

* * *

**Lunar Palace**

**Commander Oliver's Quarters**

**The Moon**

**Local time, unknown**

Tommy sat on the edge of the leather couch in his quarters. He had showered nearly twenty minutes ago; his hair was still damp and curling from the water. He was re-wrapping the medical tape around his left wrist, careful not to aggravate the stitches.

The battle in San Francisco was still going on, as far as he knew. He left about two hours ago when he could no longer ignore the exhaustion in his limbs. Finster nearly fainted at the sight of the green ranger in the medical bay. His hair was matted to his face, a mixture of sweat and blood holding it down.

He had been bleeding from a deep cut on the back of his head, as well as a scrape on his temple. His suit was essentially shredded, revealing the black and silver armor underneath. What remained of his green and white costume was covered in dirt and blood, most of which wasn't his own. There were several small holes in the torso of his power suit from where the bullets hit him. His arms were a bloody mess, covered in scrapes, bruises, and bleeding profusely, leaving rivulets on his arms. The teen immediately collapsed upon landing in the medical bay, the strain of teleportation too much for his body to handle.

Finster was furious once Tommy was in the clear, upset that the young commander would be so reckless with his health again. The teen left the medical bay with his arms and legs almost completely covered with white bandages… only to take them off immediately in order to shower.

He was sure Finster would be displeased once he found out.

Tommy stared at himself in the mirror hanging on the wall across from him. It took some time for him to put on his sweatpants, and he absolutely refused to wear a shirt to sleep. The pain in his arms was too much.

The painkillers Finster had given him earlier were already wearing off, though it wasn't as if they were that effective in the first place. His entire body throbbed in pain, and it almost made him want to flop onto his couch and fall asleep there because he was already there.

Tommy grabbed the ointment off his coffee table, squirting some of the white cream onto his fingertips before rubbing it over the bruises on his chest. One of the tanks snuck up on him while he was fighting Jason and blasted him straight in the chest. The blow was so strong that he was almost positive he was dead. A quick check with Finster, however, confirmed that he had only nearly broken his ribs.

The green ranger was very careful in putting on the ointment, not wanting to pull the stitches on his arms, stomach, or shoulders. Normally, he wouldn't even bother putting on the cream, but he was in too much pain not to. The effect of the cream was immediate, and he let out an involuntary moan when he felt the pain begin to subside.

His hand eventually found its way to the bruise along the right side of his jaw, where Kimberly had punched him earlier. It hadn't looked too bad when he had facial hair covering it, but once he finally shaved, it was actually quite noticeable.

He scowled when his thoughts shifted to the pink ranger.

Tommy knew that eventually, he and Kimberly would cross paths again…but he hadn't been expecting _that_ type of reunion. The powerful combination of physical and verbal assault was crippling, to say the least.

Normally, thinking of Kimberly brought on a myriad of emotions – confusion, nervousness, lust, to name a few. But now, it was as if only a black cloud of rage encompassed him at the thought of his former lover. If he had known all that would be said during their talk in San Francisco, he would've gladly let her continue hitting him. Physical pain was temporary – it hurt like hell in the beginning but with time, it dulled into nothingness, or could be treated. But words? Words were permanent and the scars were invisible…Tommy knew there was no fighting against that.

'_And that's what bothers you the most, isn't it?'_ asked the young voice softly._ 'She hurt you in a way that you can't heal from.'_

The green ranger's jaw clenched tightly as he continued to rewrap his bandages. He chose not to respond to the comment, namely because he knew it was true.

Tommy wasn't an overly sensitive guy… he actually wasn't very sensitive at all. He considered it a good quality, as it allowed him to brush off many damning comments with ease and not become a victim to what other people thought of him. So the fact that mere words from a girl he was once involved with caused him pain was unnerving.

He hated how she was made him feel…that she could hurt him so easily.

'_That's because Kim's not just some girl and you know it,'_ accused the voice. _'Don't kid yourself into thinking she's like those other twits you slept with. You had true feelings for Kim long before you decided to fuck everything up. That's why she's getting to you.'_ The voice paused. '_Well, that… and she's having your baby.'_

The green ranger's hands tightened considerably on the bandage, and he winced when pulled a little too hard on the last winding. Oh, how he _wished_ Kim was just _some girl_ to him; it would make things so much easier.

But it could never be true.

Before he became the green ranger, Kim wasn't _just_ the only girl he ever felt true feelings for…she was also one of his best friends. Sure, things were a little tense given their obvious attraction and the whole Jason issue, but they still had a relationship that was special in its own right.

Tommy understood things would change between them given that they were opposite sides, but before the invasion started, there were still glimpses of their old relationship every now and then. She would still reach out to him and be outwardly caring, and he would never go after her like he did the others…she was always the exception.

'_Well _duh _she is,' _said the young voice. _'You've slept with God only knows how many girls, and all it took was one damn kiss from Kimberly to have you unbalanced.'_

The teen's eyes closed as he recalled the moonlight kiss he shared with Kim after their second time together months ago. No woman had ever been able to rouse those feelings in him, especially with a simple kiss. The kiss itself wasn't even that special; he'd had better for sure. But no other kiss ever managed to leave him an emotional mess from the intimacy and feelings it spawned like that one.

He had been so vulnerable in that moment…all because of _her_. Just thinking about it was bringing back feelings he wished were long dead…

Tommy frowned, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. _'Knock it off, Tommy,' _he scolded himself. '_That was a different time, and we were different people then.'_

And he hated how much that fact bothered him.

It was as if they were speaking two completely different languages now. Kim was always so damn angry with him lately; he couldn't even remember the last remotely civil thing she said to him. Every conversation between them turned into a Kimberly-rant on how horrible of a person he was. How he ruined her life or was doing something else wrong or wasn't thinking about her _feelings_…

'_Why can't she ever see that I'm doing the best that I can?' _he thought in frustration. _'There are over six billion people on this fucking planet and under my leadership, less than five thousand have died. None of her stupid ranger friends are dead, Angel Grove is safe, Zordon's alive... I haven't even killed Jason yet! All she can think about is what I've done wrong…what about what I've done right?'_ He frowned. _'She's out there running around pregnant and fighting in a war, but _I'm_ the one that's endangering our child?'_

His face clouded over with fury as he replayed their earlier conversation in his head.

'_Doesn't want me to see my own kid? What a load of shit. I don't pose any more of a threat than she does.'_

'_Yeah, you tell her, Tommy. Because everyone mass murders on a weekly basis…logic is clearly on your side,'_ said the younger voice in his head sarcastically.

'_You know I'm right,'_ argued the teen. _'I've kept the war away from Angel Grove, haven't I? No more break-ins at their Command Center or sending Zordon into his time warp. Up until now, I kept the power rangers out of the fight…_they_ decided to show up today on their own. Doesn't that count for something?'_

'_Do you even _listen_ to her when she yells at you or are you so busy trying to be the victim that it just doesn't stick?' _asked the voice lazily. _'You started the invasion – that should've never happened. You chose to work for Zedd – also never should've happened. You _kill people_ for a living; why the hell would she want you near her child? You're trying to destroy Earth and kill the power rangers, which implies you want to kill her since – newsflash – she's a power ranger. She has a right to be afraid and want you gone.'_

Tommy considered this before shaking his head. _'If I wanted Kim dead, I would've killed her already – I mean it wouldn't be particularly difficult to do. I could've killed her on multiple occasions when we've met alone and she's still alive. Or does that not count? Everything I've done shows that I'm _not_ trying to hurt her or our baby; I'm protecting them! Why should I be punished for that?'_

He was getting angry just thinking about it.

'_Yes, Tommy, you've managed to refrain from killing them so far, so congratulations for being human,' _said the voice mockingly. _'Kim and your child may not die by your hand, but with how things are going, you _will_ be the reason for their deaths.'_

The green ranger frowned. _'What the hell does that mean?'_

'_Tommy, why does any of this even _bother_ you?'_ asked the voice in exasperation, avoiding his question. _'You said you didn't want anyone to know about the kid and Kim gave you the perfect out by telling you to butt out of their lives. She doesn't want your help, and you don't want to be a father. Let it go.'_

Tommy paused at this. _'I know I should…but I can't.'_

Part of him knew it was because Kim had the audacity to tell him to stay out of his child's life – he could never back down from something like that.

'_That's your reason?'_ asked the voice in annoyance. _'So because she said she doesn't want you to, _now_ you want to play daddy? What are you, three?'_

'_It's not _just _that. It's…complicated,'_ the teen answered.

'_Then maybe instead of getting angry at Kim, you should sort that out.' _

'_I'd rather not, thanks,'_ replied the green ranger shortly. _'Besides, there are more important things to think about.'_

'_Like?'_

'_Like…' _He didn't really have answer ready; he just wanted to talk about _anything _else.

Tommy's eyes widened suddenly. _'Like what the fuck that Katie girl was talking about today when we were fighting. After she saw my face?'_

'…_an excellent question indeed.'_

Tommy let out a sigh, relieved to have successfully shifted the subject away from Kimberly for the time being. He wasn't up to discussing her anymore tonight with anyone, especially strange voices in his head.

Truthfully, he really _did_ want to know what the yellow Time Force ranger had been talking about when she saw was stunned and even _angry_ when she saw his face, as if she had seen him somewhere before – but from what she told Billy, there was no record of his appearance in the future.

'_Which is just sad; that people didn't have the privilege of seeing such a handsome face…'_

How the hell did she even know about him? She mentioned something about legends or whatever, but why would he be a legend in her time? Lord Zedd was the emperor, not him. Generals never went down in history unless they did something serious.

Even more pressing was the issue of the Time Force rangers being in the twentieth century in the first place. Didn't Goldar say something about them being forbidden to alter the timeline or something like that? The only ranger teams that existed at the moment were the Earth team, the Aquitian rangers, and the defunct Space team. Time Force was only known to exist because of a rip in time that occurred centuries ago that they briefly appeared to repair. They were only supposed to travel through time and make changes when it was _absolutely _necessary.

So why were they here now?

Loud thumping on his door pulled Tommy from his thoughts. "Come in."

The door creaked open slowly, and his pulse quickened when he saw Scorpina standing in the doorway, his helmet in one hand and his discarded weapons in the tossed them at him and they landed with a thud at his feet. "You left these," she said coolly.

His eyes trailed from the filthy items to her blazing eyes. "Thanks."

"Want to tell me what's going on, Commander?" she asked.

'_No.'_

He stood slowly, carefully making his way over to his kitchen before fixing himself a glass of water. "Why bother? It seems you're perfectly capable of drawing your own hasty conclusions, Scorpina," he said nastily.

The female warrior scowled, slamming the door to his quarters closed.

"Cut the bullshit, Tommy. What the hell is going on between you and the pink ranger?"

Tommy shrugged. "Jen? Not much, really. Just met her today. I don't think she likes me very much… given the whole Dragon dagger in the arm… thing…" he trailed off as he headed back to the sofa.

"You know I'm not talking about her," she hissed. "Kimberly. The Earth ranger."

He finished his water before slamming the glass onto the coffee table with more force than necessary. "She's my enemy, Scorpina. What do you _think_ is going on?"

"When I saw it was her you were looking at through the Repulsascope, I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt."

He brushed past her, bending down to pick up his Dragon dagger. "And why would you need to do that in the first place?"

"Because after Goldar told me you slept with her, you can imagine I had my doubts."

Tommy's blood ran cold as she revealed this bit of information, and he forced his voice to remain calm. "You know about that?"

She scoffed. "Of course I know. Goldar _hates_ you, and he trusts you even less than Rygog does. He told me to watch you carefully. When I asked for a reason, he gave me a pretty damn good one."

"I see." The green ranger turned to face her. "Then you know that I only slept with her to get back at Jason."

"So I've been told."

The teen narrowed his eyes. "You think I'm lying."

Scorpina stayed silent for several seconds. "It's not so much that I doubt you…but things don't add up." She started rattling off. "If you were spying on the rangers like you say you were before, why bother looking for the pink ranger? The logical choice would be any of the male rangers. Red is the leader, black is second-in-command, and blue is the smartest of them all. It makes no sense to look at the yellow or pink rangers for answers."

"Then doesn't that give more reason to look at them first? Because they know that's exactly how we'd think?" he argued, desperation creeping into his words.

Scorpina seemed to consider his words before she shook her head, continuing. "And then today…you _saved_ the pink ranger's life. I saw her teleport away from San Francisco, so don't lie and say that you killed her. When – "

"She _teleported_?" he asked incredulously, cutting her off.

'_Of course she teleported, Tommy,' _he thought angrily._ 'That's how she got to San Francisco in the first place. Didn't she say that was possibly dangerous to the baby? Why the _hell _would she do that? Is she crazy?'_

Scorpina nodded, her expression bemused before she continued. "When I left her with you, she was wounded and could easily be taken out. We both know physically, she can't beat you. Why isn't she dead?"

'_You'd be surprised,'_ he thought wryly. _'I'm always the victim whenever I fight Kimberly.'_

"I let her leave," he said coldly. "She is more valuable to me alive than dead. For what I have planned…her being alive provides more leverage over Jason."

'_Yeah, that's smart,'_ said the young voice in his head. _'Just keep on lying…it's worked fabulously so far…'_

"She betrayed her team. She can't be worth much to them anymore."

Tommy shook his head. "Jason still loves her. I'm using that to my advantage when the time comes."

She eyed him warily. "Do _you_ love her, Commander?"

"No," Tommy said easily. "The pink ranger was a means to an end, and she still is. I promise you that."

Scorpina stared at him silently. "I want to believe you, Tommy."

"Then trust me," he whispered harshly. He _needed_ her to believe him. Scorpina was one of the few allies he had – if she turned on him…

Scorpina looked away from him briefly, eyes unfocused as she looked at a nearby wall. "Was she the one you met? The one in the note I found the other day?"

"No," he lied.

"Then who was it?" she pressed.

Time seemed to stand still between them, and Tommy could quickly see where the conversation was headed. He thought about saying it was from a girl back home, but that would be an obvious lie. He was missing on Earth, face posted up everywhere, and he was most likely presumed dead by now. There was no way he'd be meeting with anyone in Angel Grove unless they knew _exactly_ who he was.

'_She knows…'_ warned the sinister voice.

"I told you that was private," was all he could think to say in response. It sounded weak even to his ears.

Scorpina's eyes darkened considerably, and her expression became unreadable. "Of course. I understand. Goodnight, Commander." Without sparing another glance in his direction, she turned and left his room quickly.

'_She knows everything,'_ the darker voice warned._ 'It's only a matter of time.'_

Tommy stared at the closed door in anguish before running his fingers through his hair.

'_What're you gonna do now, Oliver?'_

The teen rest his head back against the soft sofa, eyes staring up at the ceiling as if the answers to his problems would suddenly appear on the white marble.

"Fuck."

* * *

**Lunar Palace**

**East Wing Corridor**

**The Moon**

**Three days later, Sunday**

**Local time, unknown**

Tommy ran his fingers through his long hair as he made his way down the dimly-lit corridor, helmet tucked beneath his arm. Lord Zedd had called for an emergency meeting almost six hours ago, and the teen was forced to leave from the ongoing fight in San Francisco.

The two sides were at a stalemate. With the rangers on their side, the military was able to keep the Dark Empire from taking over, but the sheer number of soldiers from the invading empire made it impossible to overpower the intruders.

It was quickly becoming frustrating.

Tommy felt his pulse quicken as he neared the large metal doors that closed off Lord Zedd's study. He knew Rygog would be there for the meeting, as well as Scorpina.

'_God dammit.'_

He hadn't seen his second-in-command since the night she confronted him about Kimberly. On the battlefield she was usually far away from him, and he never saw her around the palace anymore, not even at dinner.

After their conversation, Tommy expected a group of armed guards to break down his door and drag him off to the holding cells below for treason. He stayed up all night, Falchion sword in hand as he waited for their arrival…but no one ever came.

The next day, he was in a state of constant alert, keeping an eye out for any sign that he was about to be ambushed by nearby soldiers. After eight hours of inaction, the teen slowly began to relax, though by then paranoia had begun to permeate his mind.

'_She's fucking with you.'_

The green ranger couldn't help but agree with the voice's assessment of Scorpina's behavior. She had to know that he was on edge after what happened in his room. Waiting to see what her next move would be was killing him.

'_Maybe she sold you out to Zedd already,'_ suggested the blacker voice. _'For all you know, once you walk through those doors to that meeting, it'll be the end of your life.'_

The green ranger paused. _'She wouldn't do that. An ambush? That's not Scorpina's style.'_

The voice laughed. _'Is fucking with your head her style, then?'_

Tommy scowled. Scorpina was probably the most straightforward person he knew; it didn't make sense for her to start playing tricks with his mind.

But then again, maybe that's what she _wanted_ him to think…

The voice in his head spoke up again._ 'You should've just killed her that night in your room, because I mean…that would've been like, you know,problem _solved_…'_

Tommy groaned in frustration. He couldn't kill Scorpina; the sudden and conveniently inexplicable death of his second-in-command would not only rouse suspicion but put him in closer proximity to Rygog. Scorpina was the one he trusted most and his most sane ally in this war...killing her wasn't even an option.

And to be perfectly honest, he actually _liked_ Scorpina…as a person, anyway. He respected her as a fighter and valued her opinion both on and off the battlefield, even if she was a little scary. She was the closest thing he had to a friend at the Lunar Palace, and he didn't want to lose that.

'_But if you had to chose between you and her?'_

As he opened the double doors to Zedd's study, he couldn't help thinking he already knew the answer to that question.

"Ah, Commander, right on time. Have a seat," said Zedd from his screen.

The green ranger took his usual seat to the left of Scorpina, and he noticed with trepidation that she refused to look in his direction.

"Who are we waiting for?" asked Rygog, head inclined towards the screen floating to the right of Zedd's.

A growl came from the screen. "That would be me."

Although no one was there yet, Tommy knew immediately who it was.

"Commander Goldar V calling in from the Sextans." He appeared suddenly on the screen, and Tommy was struck by how different Goldar looked. A long scar ran from his left brow down the side of his throat. His face was thinner than before, wrinkles visible on his face. His eyes, which were normally vibrant and filled with anger, now seemed dimmer… hardened, in a sense.

Tommy had never seen Goldar like this before.

"Goldar, how are you?" asked Rygog with a wide grin.

The winged beast did not return his smile. "I've been better, Rygog. There is much to discuss, and we don't have much time."

"He's right," said Zedd stiffly. "There's been a change of plans. Serpentera is currently headed back to the Milky Way and will be landing at the docking station between Saturn and Uranus. When I arrive, I will need Thomas and Scorpina to beam aboard."

"Beam aboard? For what?" asked the teen in confusion._ 'And when the hell did he start calling me Thomas?'_

"The situation on KO-35 is a bit more…sensitive than I originally anticipated. I will need assistance on the planet," Goldar said gruffly. "Given that you were the one who captured the planet for the empire in the first place, Scorpina, I will need you here. Perhaps your past will be of use in containing the situation."

Scorpina flinched slightly at the comment before nodding.

"And me?" asked Tommy.

"Your presence is required by me," said the emperor. "The negotiations with the KAX Union are becoming tedious at best, and given their affinity for your kind, I see your presence putting us at an advantage."

"My kind?" repeated Tommy.

Goldar growled. "Must you repeat _everything_ he says?"

"Shut _up_, Goldie," said the teen curtly. "I'm allowed to ask questions about where I'm going and why."

"Stand down, Goldar; Thomas is correct." The gold-plated warrior simply rumbled in response.

'_Why is he calling me Thomas?'_ the green ranger wondered again.

"The KAX Union favors humans more than any other species in the universe. The KAX Union believes in maintaining order and balance in the universe. Given the obviously primitive nature of your species, they are more willing to help out humans above all others."

Zedd sighed. "Normally, we do not have a problem with them, but as the Phaedosians are extinct and our one surviving human colony on KO-35 is now rebelling – "

" – KAX sees no reason to help you… not until you capture Earth, anyways," finished the green ranger.

"Precisely."

Tommy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What exactly would I need to do? I know nothing about the state of the negotiations or even the terms of the treaty you're proposing."

"You'll be informed once you board Serpentera. Your presence is not mandatory for most of the negotiations, however; in fact, the bulk of your time will be spent away from the KAX Union on KO-35."

Tommy frowned. "What?"

"How receptive are your people normally to anything that is unfamiliar to them?" Goldar asked abruptly. "They either try to capture it, dominate it, or kill it. The people of KO-35 hate outsiders and will only agree to call a ceasefire when their leader can speak to one of their own. You're human, just like them – this may be the only opportunity that we have."

It had to be serious if _Goldar_ was asking for his help.

"What's their leader like?" asked Tommy. He wondered if he could just kill the man while his guard was down.

"Andros is…complex; it is difficult to explain. He's the former red Space ranger," said Goldar.

Tommy snorted. "Of _course_ he is…I hate him already." He turned to Zedd. "When do you need us to leave?"

"I will arrive at the rendezvous point in two Earth days."

The green ranger's eyes widened. "_Two_ Earth days? I was under the impression that your arrival would not be for several days, weeks even…"

"Time is of the essence, Thomas. We need you and Scorpina here as soon as possible."

Scorpina cleared her throat, speaking for the first time during the meeting. "If we are leaving so soon, we need to handle the shift of officers for the invasion."

Zedd nodded. "Rygog will serve as acting commander in your absence, with Havoc as his second-in-command."

"Understood, sir," said a very giddy Rygog, who appeared unable to keep the smirk off of his hideous face.

Tommy gaped at the emperor, confusion and anger building within him at an alarming rate. _'But this is _my_ invasion…'_

'_Not anymore,'_ laughed a voice in his head.

Zedd's gaze turned to him. "Is there a problem, Thomas?"

The green ranger promptly closed his mouth, jaw clenching almost painfully. He knew ultimately the decision was already made, and nothing he said could change anything at this point. The teen _did_ want to vent his frustrations, but he wouldn't give Rygog the satisfaction of seeing him upset.

"No, sir. I'll set up a meeting with the other officers tomorrow to inform them of these changes," said Tommy with forced ease.

"Good. I will discuss more details when you board Serpentera." His screen went black.

'_Well…that was abrupt.'_

"A report on KO-35 will be sent to you once you're onboard Serpentera." Goldar's gaze turned to the green ranger. "I would hope you actually take the time to _read_ the report, since there will be valuable and highly _sensitive_ information in it."

The teen colored slightly before glaring. He knew Goldar was referring to the many times in training when he failed to read reports and attend briefings in a timely manner. "Don't worry, Goldie. It'll get done," said Tommy with a smile.

The beast growled before cutting off the link, leaving Tommy and the others in silence.

"Well," said Rygog, who was still unable to keep the grin off his face. "I think that was a productive meeting. I'll alert the generals that there will be a meeting tomorrow night. What time?"

Tommy fought the urge to roll his eyes. "After dinner…in the throne room."

Rygog nodded as he got up, and Tommy noticed that the creature had a bit of a strut when he walked. It was enough to make Tommy want to blow out his kneecaps.

The teen waited until Rygog's footsteps were faint before turning to his silent companion next to him."What're you playing at, Scorpina?" he hissed.

The warrior turned black eyes to him, her gaze cool. "I don't play games, Commander. You know that."

That was true. "I see you haven't reported me."

"Do I need to?" she asked in a challenging tone.

"No," he said quickly. "But I can tell you're suspicious."

She shrugged. "Wouldn't you be if the situation were reversed?"

His eyes narrowed though he refused to answer her question. "Why haven't you done anything?"

Scorpina sighed. "Because _you_ haven't done anything worth reporting… yet."

Her gaze settled on the wall across from them."My allegiance is to Lord Zedd and the Dark Empire, and by extension, to you. As of this moment, nothing you have done indicates that you plan on betraying our emperor. In fact, aside from protecting the pink ranger, your actions speak otherwise, given how thorough you've been in planning and fighting in the invasion." She turned to him. "I won't pretend to understand or act as if I'm comfortable with your secrecy, especially as it pertains to the pink ranger. I know _something_ else is going on, but right now it doesn't appear to conflict with our mission. I won't act without evidence."

"But?" he pressed, knowing there was more.

"But if I get proof that you are going to betray us, I will not hesitate to kill you."

She stood then, sliding her chair underneath the wooden table before turning to him."Consider this a warning, Oliver."

"Oliver?" he repeated slowly, more upset than he was willing to admit that she would address him by only his last name; it was so…impersonal. "What happened to Commander? Or Tommy?"

Scorpina ignored him, walking out of the room and closing the door with a soft click.

Tommy remained sitting long after she left the room, head in his calloused hands as he let out a shaky breath.

'_Well, it could've been worse. She could've just killed you here and now…or turned you in to Zedd. Focus on the positives, I say.'_

Tommy knew this in no way put him in a good position. She hadn't snitched on him, but he knew she was still watching him. She still held the power, and he hated it.

He supposed there was another good thing about being away from Earth. He would be away from Kimberly _and_ would have no way of communicating with her. Perhaps if Scorpina saw that, her suspicions would die and he'd be in the clear.

He snorted. _'Fat chance of that happening.'_

The green ranger let out a deep breath. "Fuck."

Scorpina would certainly be watching him like a hawk while they were away, and he couldn't even kill her if he wanted to. Not with Lord Zedd and Goldar around.

Why couldn't it be _Rygog_ instead of Scorpina? He'd have no problem killing that jackass, especially if he had suspicions about the teen's relationship with Kimberly. Sure, it would be obvious that he killed him, but at least the bastard would be dead. It would be infinitely better than the current situation with Scorpina knowing and Rygog staying on Earth.

The green ranger scowled at the thought. Why did Zedd have to choose _Rygog_ of all people to lead the invasion in his absence? Granted, in terms of rank it _should_ be him, and he had the best chance of maintaining the success of the invasion. _'But still…Rygog?' _Tommy rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Rygog had always disagreed with Tommy's method of carrying out the invasion, even though he knew it made sense. No matter how logical the plan, there was always _something_ that he had just had to argue against. With Tommy gone, though, Rygog would have the freedom to carry out the invasion as he saw fit, and since he and Havoc were always in agreement, there'd be no stopping them.

That would mean more civilian deaths and destruction for sure. And, of course, he'd attack Angel Grove first…

Tommy froze at that thought. _'Shit.'_

Rygog's plan to destroy Angel Grove, and consequently the power rangers, was always thwarted by Tommy being commander. But now that he was leaving…

"Shit," Tommy swore loudly in the empty room.

There was nothing he could do to stop Rygog when he was gone, and outwardly opposing the attack at the meeting would look bad, especially with Scorpina watching him now. But he couldn't just let Rygog attack Angel Grove without telling Kimberly first.

'_Why do you need to tell her? She's a big girl, Tommy. She knew the risks when she signed up for the job,'_ said the dark voice. _'And she doesn't want your help…or do you not remember your spat over in San Francisco?'_

The green ranger scowled. There was no way he would _ever_ forget that little chat.

'_I know that, but that doesn't mean I can't warn her. I don't want h– the _baby_ getting hurt,'_ he thought angrily.

There was a long pause.

'_You're going through an _awful_ lot to protect Kim and this baby. A woman that despises you and a baby that you would be better off without.'_

His jaw clenched tightly, aware of what the voice was implying.

"It's not like that," he whispered fiercely. "Kim's not the reason. And the baby…I-I just…"

The voice chuckled as he struggled to come up with a valid reason. Tommy swallowed thickly as he pushed the voice to the back of his mind, Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

He needed to get in contact with Kim before he left and he knew how to do it. He just hoped she would put aside her hate for him and listen…for the sake of their child.

* * *

**Angel Grove Park**

**The Lake**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**Tuesday, 8:22 PM **

Tommy teleported behind the Youth Center, rubbing his hands together quickly to ward off the bitter cold. He pulled his olive green and black track jacket closer to his body, head covered with a black beanie. His black boots scraped the ground lightly as he made his way over to the lake, Kim's petite form resting on the large rock nearby.

"You're late," she told him when he neared her, and Tommy rolled his eyes. They hadn't even started talking and already he could feel himself becoming irritated with her.

"Yeah, well…duty calls. Got held up in a meeting," he said gruffly.

Kim nodded, her small form wrapped up in Zack's old AGHS basketball sweatshirt. He couldn't help but wonder if there was a baby bump hidden beneath the hoodie.

"You asked me to meet you here…so talk…"

Her entire posture screamed how she didn't want him near her, and it made him anxious.

'_What am I doing here?' _he asked himself._ 'She made it clear how she felt in San Francisco.'_

'_If that's true, then I think the better question is what is _she_ doing here?' _asked the young voice.

"Well?" she asked, tone acidic.

Tommy cleared his throat. "I'm leaving in the morning."

Kim stared at him. "Leaving where?"

"The KAX Union."

There was a long pause. "Okay."

He gritted his teeth, holding in his annoyance at her lackluster reaction. Tommy didn't know why it even bothered him anymore; he really should be used to all the anger and disappointment and hatred by now. Whatever it was they had between them had died the minute he chose to fight for Lord Zedd. The only thing they shared now was this baby – and it seemed even that wasn't enough.

So why was he trying so hard? Or at all for that matter?

'_That's what I'd like to know,'_ spoke up the older voice. _'She's told you time and time again that she hates you,wants nothing to do with you. And yet you keep going back to her like she's going to change her mind. She'll never change her mind, Tommy, because you'll never be who she wants you to be.'_

'_And who's that?'_ asked the teen.

'_Jason.'_ He couldn't ignore the nausea that hit him at the mere thought of the red ranger.

Tommy avoided her eyes. "I'll be leaving in a few hours for business with Scorpina. Rygog will be leading the invasion in my absence along with Havoc."

"All right," she said nonchalantly.

His nostrils flared. "You know, you could at least _pretend_ to be grateful."

She shot him a look. "Excuse me?"

"I'm just trying to give you a heads up about what's going to happen in the next few days. I didn't have to come here and tell you anything."

"Oh, I _see_." Kim laughed harshly. "Well what did you _expect_, Tommy? You want me to grovel at your feet? Give thanks to the almighty green ranger?"

He made a frustrated face. "No, I just…" He noticed the coldness in her normally soft brown eyes.

"Just _what_?" she hissed.

He felt the familiar urge to make a snappish comment, but it died the longer he stared at her. He could hear her stinging words from back in San Francisco and instantly felt drained. He didn't want to fight…not tonight.

"Nothing."

She eyed him confusedly before she resumed her impassive gaze. "Why are you leaving for KAX?"

"Like I said…business."

"What kind of business?" she pressed. "Must be pretty important if you're leaving the invasion for it."

He scratched the back of his neck. "You know I can't tell you that, Kim."

The pink ranger gave a tight smile. "Of course not. Wouldn't want to upset your _precious_ Lord Zedd."

He scowled, irritated by her attitude. "Can we not do this tonight? I understand that you don't want anything to do with me;you made that pretty damn clear back in San Francisco. I just wanted to warn you, all right?"

Ever since the fallout between her and Jason, Tommy had been on the receiving end of her undying anger. And sure, he knew he probably deserved a lot of it, but that didn't mean he necessarily _liked_ being yelled at or attacked every time he tried to have a conversation with her. It was getting old rather quickly.

Kim looked away from him, gazing out at the water underneath the moonlight for some time before speaking again. "What can you tell me about Rygog?" she asked softly.

He inwardly sighed in relief, glad to see that she was allowing a temporary truce, at least for the moment. It was easier to deal with her if the conversation had nothing to do with the horrible mess they made.

Tommy ran a hand over his face before moving over to sit on a nearby rock. "He's crazy."

The pink ranger sneered. "That's rich coming from you…but given the source, I should probably take your word on it…"

The longhaired teen's jaw clenched tightly as he stared out at the lake. "He's going to attack Angel Grove. I don't know when…but with me _and_ Scorpina out in space, it won't be long before things get bad. I was the only thing keeping him on a leash until now."

Kim crossed her arms over her stomach. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Tommy licked his lips, peering at her from the corner of his eyes. "Rygog wants to destroy the power rangers; you're the biggest threat to the invasion and he wants you gone. He doesn't know that I know your true identities, but since he knows your Command Center is based outside of Angel Grove, he correctly assumed that's where you're from."

The pink ranger's face scrunched up in confusion. "Then what good is attacking Angel Grove? He doesn't know who we are…and it's a small city. The largest government office we have is for the mayor. You've only been attacking major cities."

The green ranger hesitated before responding, knowing his next words would undoubtedly upset her. "He's not attacking to capture – he's attacking to destroy…_everything_. Rygog wants to leave Angel Grove in ruins, Kim. No survivors."

He heard her gasp. "But I thought– you said– even with your wacked understanding of the word peaceful, you never really all-out _destroyed_ a city."

He couldn't help but feel a bit happy to hear her admit that. Even if she didn't necessarily agree with the things he did, he was at least better than _someone_ in her eyes.

'_Don't take it to heart. Anyone's better than Rygog,'_ reminded the dark voice.

"Could you be wrong?" she asked hopefully.

"Our orders are to avoid civilian casualties, but he never truly agreed with that…and with all of his superiors away, he has no real reason not to go through with it."

Her arms wrapped tighter around her stomach. "I thought– I thought I'd have more time…"

Tommy could hear the fear in her voice and he moved to stand in front of her. "That's why I wanted you to meet me here. I can't stop Rygog from doing this…once I'm gone, he's free to do what he wants. "

Kim buried her face in her hands as she let out an anguished groan. "This doesn't make sense. We won't even _be_ there when he attacks…we'd be at the Command Center or at _least_ trying to stop him from killing everyone." She looked up with panicked eyes. "God, we have to evacuate the city…our friends, our relatives…I need to tell the others…"

She moved to use her communicator, only to be stopped when Tommy grabbed her wrist. "Don't," he hissed.

Kim yanked her arm away from him. "Tommy, I _need_ to let them know about this."

He glared at her. "And where exactly will you say you got this information when they ask, Kim? Intuition?"

Her eyes filled with understanding. "Fuck," she breathed.

"Exactly," said Tommy. "You can't tell anyone. Whether the attack happens or not, if you tell the other rangers, they'll act on it. Your teammates will know you're still talking to me, and I'll be under suspicion when Rygog sees that you've prepared for his attack. That's not an option right now."

With Scorpina on him like a hawk, the last thing Tommy needed was for her to get word that the power rangers had Angel Grove evacuated due to the possibility of an attack by the Dark Empire. The timing would be too perfect and only convince her that her suspicions were valid…that he was betraying their emperor.

'_Well, aren't you? Telling Kimberly is like telling the entire rainbow brigade,'_ pointed out the youthful voice.

'_No, I'm…I'm protecting my baby,'_ explained Tommy.

There was a long pause. _'Right. Of course you are.'_

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do, Tommy?" she asked angrily. "You asked me to meet you, told me something terrible _might_ happen while you're gone, but that I can't do _anything_ about it…why even tell me in the first place?"

'_So much for a civilized conversation;she's back to being pissed.'_He let out a frustrated sigh. "Kim…"

"I can't just keep something like this to myself, Tommy. Unlike you, it actually _bothers_ me when people I care about are in danger," Kim snarled. "Does it even matter to you that broke your mother's heart?"

"Don't go there, Kim," he said lowly.

"What's the matter? Struck a nerve?" she asked viciously.

"Stop it!" he yelled at her suddenly, causing her to look at him in alarm. He was tired of the wisecracks. "You know, Kimberly, it wouldn't kill you to think beyond your hate for me for just _five_ fucking seconds! Maybe you'd realize that I'm actually trying to help –"

"_Help_? By _what_?" she shouted back. "Letting me know only hours before you jet off into space that someone who's just a _little_ crazier than you is gonna be unleashed only God knows when… but I'm not supposed to _do_ anything about it? Thanks a lot," she said with dripping sarcasm.

"I don't want you to do nothing," he said with gritted teeth. "I expect you to take that information and do what you need to do in order to keep my child safe."

"You _expect_ me to keep _your_ child safe?" she repeated slowly. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Do I _look_ like I'm kidding?" he asked nastily. "I'm giving you valuable information, _which could get me killed in case you forgot_, and you're too busy taking cheap shots to listen."

Her nostrils flared, and she looked ready to attack him at any second. "_You're_ saying _I'm _not taking care of _my _child? That I'm not doing my bestgiven the circumstances but _you_ are?"

His eyes narrowed. "With how reckless you've been lately, fighting and _teleporting_," he stressed with gritted teeth, "I clearly needed to handle things myself. One of us has to step up and act like a parent."

The green ranger knew he was treading on thin ice.

'_Fuck thin ice – she's about to murder you,'_ warned the young voice.

But Tommy didn't care. He found boundless pleasure in getting under Kim's skin, pissing her off to the point where she saw red. Kim always hit him where it hurt the most – giving her the same treatment was indescribably satisfying.

"First of all," she hissed, "there's nothing reckless about saving these people and this planet from your _demented _empire. And second, teleporting while pregnant is fine in the first trimester. With all of the people we've had to evacuate because of the damage you've done, Billy ran a precautionary check on the risks of teleportation for different medical conditions in the event of an emergency rescue...not that I even need to explain myself to _you_."

She pointed at him. "As for acting like a parent, well...you're doing a _wonderful_ job at that," Kim said scornfully. "You're going off on a fucking _vacation_ in the middle of the war _you _started, leaving behind a baby and the mother of that child fighting someone you say wants me and my friends dead. You have the makings of a _fine_ father, Tommy."

Tommy wasn't sure if it was the caustic way she said it or if he finally reached his limit with her from weeks of verbal abuse, but he finally snapped.

His eyes flashed bright green. "You know what, Kim?_ Fuck you_." Her eyes widened in surprise. "You always say I'm a coward and that I never do the right thing. Well, I'm trying now, all right? But all you have for me is the same bullshit you've been spewing for weeks. I'm tired of it!"

"You call this _trying_?" she asked, voice rising to a shout. "Where the _fuck_ was all this trying when it would've made a difference, Tommy, huh? Did you try _not _attacking Earth? The same planet my baby, who you suddenly seem to care _so_ much about, will be born?" Kim pointed north of them. "The battle has come to San Francisco, Tommy! To _Los Angeles_! That's only a couple miles from here! So how the hell can you stand here and honestly say you're trying to do the right thing?"

He moved closer to her, adrenaline pumping through his veins. "I'm risking _everything_ I've worked for, including my _life_, to come here and help you; how are you going to just brush that aside? I give as much as I can and all you want to do is throw sarcastic comments in my face and act like you're the only one who's suffering through all of this when – "

"How the hell are you suffering?" she yelled, cutting off his rant. "You come down every few days from your palace to murder people and at the end of the day, you go back to your comfy crazy house to have meetings with your equally psychotic buddies… and now you're what? Going on a business trip for your master? That sounds incredibly difficult."

She shoved him hard. "_I'm_ the one that's pregnant! _I'm_ the one that's out here trying to save this planet and give _my_ child something worth living for! I'm the one that has to worry about losing my child's life every time I put on my suit to do my job, or about what's gonna happen when my baby comes into this world!" She waved a finger mockingly in his face. "But _no_, not you…I'm trying to figure out if there will even _be_ a hospital left when my baby is born and your biggest concern is what'll happen to your career as a murdering sociopath? You don't know _shit_ about suffering, Tommy!"

The green ranger clenched his fists, furious that she tried to brush aside his problems. "So because you fucked up, I can't have my issues because they aren't as serious as yours?" he asked incredulously. "Here's a newsflash, Kim. No one _forced_ you to sleep with me! No one told you to _cheat_ on Jason with his _worst _enemy, and no one told you to kick me out of our child's life just because you can't face your own mistakes."

Kim reared back as if he physically struck her, and he reveled in the pain that crossed her beautiful features.

"All you _ever_ do is complain that I don't help, but turn around and bite my head off every goddamn time I try. You say I ruined your life – well that sucks, but _getoverit; _you're just as responsible for it as I am. You need to remember that I'm the only person that could possibly understand what you're going through, and you're determined to push me away. One day you're going to push me _too_ fucking far, Kim!"

He breathed heavily at the end of his rant, happy that he got some of his frustration out. He frowned, however, when he saw the fire in Kim's eyes.

"You know, it just– it must be _wonderful_ to be you, the innocent victim, Tommy Oliver. You get to sanctimoniously decide how things are supposed to happen…h-how _I'm_ supposed to feel about this… You get to do _whatever_ you want, but I just have to take it, right? Fall in line and do all the right things while you live it up, breaking all the rules?" she hissed, wiping at her now wet eyes.

He felt a strange twisting sensation in his stomach at the sight of her tears.

"And God forbid, _Tommy_…God _forbid_ that I happen to act out in hurt or-or frustration. You wanna beat me down with all my past mistakes and have the nerve to tell me I _deserve_ it?"

She pressed her index finger against the center of his chest. "Fuck _you_, Tommy. This conversation is over."

She turned away from him, and he reached out without thinking, firmly grabbing her elbow. "We're not done talking, Kim."

She pulled away from him. "I don't care if you have anything else to say…I'm _done_." The green ranger got the distinct feeling that she was talking about more than just their conversation.

And it was for that reason that he didn't even bother trying to stop her the second time she made to leave.

'_Well…that went well…' _spoke up the young voice softly.

Tommy rolled his eyes, taking a seat on the nearby boulder as he looked over Angel Grove Lake. He scooped up some pebbles off the ground, throwing one into the still water every few seconds. With every pebble that splashed through the surface, he felt a little bit of the anger inside leave him, replaced with another feeling he couldn't identify.

This time, there was no doubt in Tommy's mind that things between him and the pink ranger were over. Too much was said that couldn't be taken back…not that he regretted any of his words, and he knew Kim probably felt the same way.

'_It was bound to happen,' _he told himself. _'With the way things were going? It was only a matter of time before it came to a head.'_

'_But it's good this way, right? Think about it…you don't have any reason to worry about that pathetic pink ranger or that brat she's carrying. You don't have to sneak around anymore or be so nervous around Scorpina,'_ reasoned the older voice in his head. _'As far as you're concerned, Kim and that child are dead to you now.'_

Tommy nodded absently, understanding intellectually why everything the voice told him made perfect sense.

But it did nothing to explain why he suddenly felt so lost.

* * *

_Man...things just seem to only get worse for Tommy, don't they? Poor guy. :( Kim, the baby, Lord Zedd, his mom, the politics of the Dark Empire...it's a lot for a kid to handle...but it's **all** necessary..._

_**rubs hands evilly**_

_**In response to PMs:**_

_As a side note, and just a reminder, part II is not a happy story. Granted, the more upsetting stuff (in terms of Tommy/Kimberly) is mostly out of the way, but there's a lot of stuff going on with Tommy that he's not aware of that will come to light by the end of part II (and it definitely won't take like 40 chapters - there's really no need to drag it out, LOL. A good portion of part II is posted now anyway). The arguing between TK is important because I really don't want to railroad Kim's character. She did some **really **stupid things in part I, and I think it makes sense for her to try and make up for it in part II and to be angry at Tommy, and really herself, for what happened. And she's also right - Tommy's not what she needs at the moment, and he needs to do some growing up before he gets there. That's part of what part II focuses on, and when what's really going on with Tommy is revealed, everything will tie together. I hope that answers those questions. If not, feel free to PM me._

_That being said, I'm hoping to get chapter 5 out to you guys relatively soon! Thanks for reading. :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:** Here's chapter 5! It's actually more like 5 and 6, but I decided to be nice and post them together since it's been awhile since my last update._

_In response to the many PMs - yes, things are going to get bad for Tommy pretty soon. This part of Cost gets pretty complicated. Just know everything happens for a reason, so pay close attention...;)_

* * *

**Serpentera**

**Teleportation Bay**

**Between Saturn and Uranus**

**Wednesday**

**Local time, unknown**

Tommy yawned sleepily when he landed in the teleportation dock of Serpentera, bleary eyes taking in his surroundings. Long eyelashes fluttered in an attempt to clear his vision.

'_It's too fucking early for this. They can't expect me to survive on three hours of sleep.'_

The young voice in his head scoffed. _'You wouldn't have gotten only three hours of sleep if you hadn't been thinking about you-know-who…'_

The teen frowned, knowing that 'you-know-who' was Kimberly. She was the only thing he could think about last night for nearly five hours straight. It wasn't until his body gave in to exhaustion that he finally fell asleep.

Their heated exchange down by the lake the night before had him feeling like shit; with Kim back on Earth, he didn't even have the chance to fix things.

He had only wanted to tell her about Rygog and the impending attack on Angel Grove. Tommy didn't want to upset her, especially in her condition, but she just wouldn't stop attacking him.

'_So it's _her_ fault that you were an asshole…good to see how mature you've become,' _the same voice echoed.

"Commander Scorpina... Commander Oliver."

Tommy searched the dimly lit room for the source of the soft voice. His eyes fell on a small fish-like creature that reached no higher than his bellybutton standing a few feet behind them. It was covered in blue and black scales and its eyes were large and silver. Fins stuck out from the sides of its head like ears and waggled every few seconds.

Scorpina nodded curtly. "Hello, Anebris. Where's the emperor?"

The creature made a series of clicking sounds before giving a wide, fanged smile.

"Master is right this way," said Anebris before heading for the west corridor, Scorpina close behind.

The green ranger followed behind the two at a leisurely pace, eyes adjusting to the brightly-lit hallways. His duffel bags felt heavy in his hands, and he wished the little fish man would stop and take the burden from him. Tommy shifted the bags to one hand, scratching his stomach through his gray sweatshirt idly as he followed them. The only sounds in the long corridor were the patter of their feet and the swish of his flannel Homer Simpson pajama pants. His long hair was tied back into a loose ponytail, covered by a black and green bandana.

They continued down the hall for what seemed like hours, and Tommy briefly wondered just how large Serpentera actually was. It looked monstrous when hovering over the moon, and he imagined his Dragonzord looked like a child's toy in comparison.

At the thought of his zord, Tommy grew somber. He was just getting a real feel for his zord and already he was being forced to leave it behind. Understandably, he wouldn't need it for negotiations, but it still annoyed him that he had to leave it back on Earth.

"Master's in here," said Anebris as he opened a large metal door. Scorpina nodded as she passed him, while Tommy ignored him.

It was then that Tommy finally noticed what Scorpina was wearing and immediately felt underdressed. Whereas he looked as if he literally just rolled out of bed – which he had – she was dressed in formal clothing. Her black slacks looked as if they had been ironed and her black boots shined brightly in the light. The fitted long-sleeved black shirt she wore made her look slimmer than normal, and her long hair fell behind her shoulders.

"Scorpina, Thomas." Lord Zedd emerged from the shadows of the room, jolting the green ranger out of his sleepiness.

"Emperor," said Scorpina with a bow; Tommy bowed as well.

"Have a seat." He pointed at two empty chairs before taking a seat across from them.

Lord Zedd intertwined his fingers. "Once we get to the M5 galaxy, you will be traveling between Serpentera and the Sextans as launch points, though the bulk of your time will be spent on the latter ship with Goldar in order to travel to KO-35."

"Launch points? Why can't we just teleport from Serpentera to KO-35?" asked Tommy. "My powers allow me to teleport far enough that the Sextans isn't needed as an intermediate."

Scorpina and Lord Zedd shared a glance. "You won't have the luxury of teleporting freely," said Scorpina.

Tommy's eyebrow rose. "And why not?"

"Because you're a wanted man, Thomas," Lord Zedd informed him. "As an officer in my empire, you are labeled a criminal."

"For _what_?" the outraged teen asked. "I'm just doing my job…"

"I understand that, Thomas; believe me, but the Eltarians view your work as…" His visor began to glow red, "_unlawful_."

"Why should that even matter? I'm a part of _your _empire, not theirs… and I haven't attacked any of their territory."

"Technically, Earth _is_ their territory – they have a team there to protect the planet." Scorpina frowned. "But you're right; it _doesn't _matter… not really."

"The Eltarians are under the impression that what they say actually matters to anyone but them," Zedd growled. "The bounty on your head deserves little thought. _Everyone_ in this empire is wanted, myself included."

'_Bounty? There's a bounty on my head?'_

'_That's kinda cool,'_ piped up the younger voice excitedly.

"As a matter of fact, you're safer than any of us," said Zedd. "They don't know what you look like; the only image they have of the green ranger is of you in your power suit."

Tommy nodded. "So it's like I'm hiding in plain sight?"

"Exactly," said Scorpina. "But you can't use any of your powers while you're out here. As soon as you do, you'll let them know who you are."

Tommy groaned. "I guess glowing green energy _would_ be a bit revealing."

"Precisely," said Zedd. "No wielding powers, no teleportation…"

"And I can't wear my power suit," Tommy realized. "So I'll be going around in my street clothes?"

Zedd chuckled. "Of course not. Your uniforms are already in your room."

"Uniforms?" the teen repeated slowly. The sleepiness was coming back in full force.

Lord Zedd pointed at Scorpina. "Standard issue for soldiers when they're off-duty. I had Finster use your power suit measurements some time ago in order to have them ready when you got here."

"Oh." The teen blinked rapidly, straining to keep his eyes open.

Zedd stared at the green ranger for some time before standing up. "I think the two of you could do with some rest. Scorpina, you know where your quarters are. I'll show Thomas to his."

The green ranger looked at the emperor in confusion before complying, grabbing his bags off the floor and following him out into the corridor. The two walked next to each other.

"That ended rather quickly," said Tommy after several minutes of silence.

"You look exhausted, Thomas, and I realized that any further conversation would be pointless at this time." They turned a corner.

Tommy gave a weak smile. "Sorry."

Lord Zedd merely nodded. "We'll be arriving in the M5 galaxy in approximately three Earth days at Serpentera's current speed. I'll spend that time briefing you on the peace treaty I'm negotiating with the KAX Union."

"And KO-35?" asked Tommy.

"After the meeting with the leaders of the KAX Union, you'll beam aboard the Sextans for a meeting with Goldar and learn what he needs from you with regards to Andros and the rebels."

Tommy nodded before yawning. "'Kay."

They stopped in front of a door. "You will stay here during your time on Serpentera." Zedd pressed a button on the side panel and the door slid open, leading the green ranger into the room. "To the left is the control panel for your quarters. Use it to set up the voice-activated security system to your room."

The green ranger dropped his bags on the ground and wiped at his eyes, only half-listening to what the emperor was saying. "Mm-hmm."

"…for any reason you are having problems with the system, contact Anebris. He can manually override the system from the console in…"

Tommy blinked slowly. _'Why is he talking in slow motion?'_

"…day and every night dinner will be served in the mess hall, which…" Tommy nodded absently, discreetly leaning back to rest his head on the nearby doorjamb.

"…a request for a specific meal, notify Anebris so it can be…"

The green ranger's eyes closed and his breathing slowed. His head slid sideways slowly, and he let out a gasp when his head fell from the doorjamb, shoulder colliding painfully with the metal wall. He turned his attention to Lord Zedd who was staring at him; the teen immediately flushed with embarrassment.

"If you have any questions," said Zedd slowly, "feel free to notify Anebris." Tommy wasn't sure, but it sounded as if the emperor was holding back a laugh. "Get some sleep, Thomas."

Tommy remained against the wall as Lord Zedd left the room, and he let out a relieved sigh when the door to his room slid shut.

'_I thought he was going to kill me.'_

'_He should have; that was beyond disrespectful,'_ said the older voice angrily. _'Thankfully, the emperor is forgiving.'_

"Yeah," said Tommy distractedly as he scratched his neck. "Where's the bed?"

A quick look around revealed his quarters on the zord were similar to those back at the Lunar Palace. The room was a bit bare and lacked the small trinkets and flair that his old room had, but he could handle that. The layout of his new room was nearly identical to his old one, and he grinned when he found his bed where he expected it to be.

"_There_ you are," he said lovingly.

On the large bed was a neat pile of clothes, which on closer inspection he realized were his uniforms. The slacks were already ironed for wear, and the black shirts bore Lord Zedd's red insignia in the upper left corner. On his pillow were four military-style jackets, one black and the other three dark red. He saw the words 'CDR OLIVER' embroidered on the left chest pocket of the red ones. Three pairs of polished black boots and two black belts rested at the foot of the bed.

"Nice," he whispered, carefully grabbing the clothes and moving them to a nearby chair.

Tommy didn't bother taking off his clothes, too tired to care about the discomfort of sleeping in them and too exhausted to care.

He crawled into the bed with a sigh, sleep claiming him before his head even hit the pillow.

* * *

**Serpentera**

**Commander Oliver's Quarters**

**Near Edenoi**

**Local time, unknown**

"341… 342… 343…"

Sweat dripped down the green ranger's body as he pushed himself to finish his crunches. With nothing to do aboard Serpentera until their arrival to the KAX Union, he decided to exercise in order to keep himself busy. Although it was quickly becoming mundane, he was grateful for the small break from fighting on Earth. He enjoyed the rush from battle, but even he had to admit his body had taken a terrible beating from all the chaos; this trip was giving him the time to finally heal.

"347… 348… 349…"

It was also giving him the time to reflect on things he'd left behind on Earth… namely one pink power ranger and unborn baby. He wished he could have left his thoughts there, too.

Tommy paused in his crunches, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.

He had no idea how long they had been travelling in Serpentera, and even less of a clue of what day it was back on Earth. For all he knew, Rygog could've already attacked Angel Grove by now.

His chest constricted painfully. _'What if something already happened to Kim and the baby?'_

'_What does it matter?'_ asked the older voice. _'Your mission to KAX is far more important than their welfare. Isn't that why you left?'_

The mission to the KAX Union was important; the treaty would be a powerful move for the Dark Empire and himself. Lord Zedd needed the leverage against Eltar, and Tommy knew if he were responsible for securing the treaty, it would gain him favor with both the emperor and his peers.

'_How pathetic,'_ said the young voice disgustedly._ 'Kim and your child could be blown to smithereens right now but all you're thinking about is yourself. But then again, why is that even a surprise?'_

The teen shook his head. "Kim's fine," he muttered in denial. "The baby's fine, too."

'_Sure about that?' _

"Positive." Tommy said aloud with a sureness he didn't believe. "Kim can handle herself."

'_Then why are you so scared?'_

A firm knock on his door broke his train of thought, and he sighed before rising to his feet. The teen grabbed his hand towel off his dresser, wiping his face before opening the door.

"Hello, Commander." Anebris presented him with a fanged smile.

"What do you want?" asked Tommy.

The creature's ears flickered for several seconds. "Master would like to see the commander now if commander's not busy."

"Alright, give me a few minutes to take a quick shower."

Tommy turned, grabbing a pair of jeans and boxers from his bag and heading to his bathroom. He finished showering, grabbed an old AGHS football sweatshirt and shrugged it on before leaving his room. He was slightly startled to see Anebris in the same exact spot he left him in, large eyes staring unblinkingly up at him.

The slave turned, walking down the hallway quickly in the direction of the conference room. Tommy followed behind closely, feet bare as he walked across the cool metal floor. They entered the empty room minutes later, and Tommy took a seat in the nearest chair. Anebris moved around the room behind him, emitting soft clicking noises every few seconds.

"I thought you said he wanted to see me," said Tommy. "He's not even here."

Anebris let out three loud clicks in response, much to Tommy's annoyance. "What the hell does that mean? I don't understand clicks."

"It means look over here," came Lord Zedd's voice as he entered the room. "I was in a meeting with Rygog on the ship's main computer."

"Rygog?" The mention of his third-in-command's name caused Tommy's heart to beat rapidly. "What did he have to say?"

"Only that the invasion is going according to plan," informed the emperor. "Were you waiting long?"

Tommy wanted to press for more information on Zedd's conversation with Rygog but knew it wasn't the appropriate time. The teen shook his head instead, choosing to answer the emperor's question. "No, I only just got here."

"Good. We need to discuss tomorrow."

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow?"

"When we meet with the leaders of the KAX Union to negotiate the treaty."

"Oh… that's tomorrow? Right," Tommy mumbled. "So what's the plan?"

Zedd took a seat across from him at the large table. "Anebris will beam the two of us down to Kalderon, in front of the gates of _Eknit Kai_."

Tommy frowned. "Gates of what?"

"_Eknit Kai_… surely you remember something from those language lessons I gave you?"

The green ranger flushed. "_Eknit Kai_… if it's on Kalderon…" He wracked his brain. "The House of the Elders?"

Zedd nodded. "Very good, Thomas; the rough translation in English is _House of Elders_. The _Eknit Kai_ is the building where the leaders of Kalderon, Xybria, and Aquitar first met to negotiate the terms on creating the union. All meetings involving the KAX Union are held there."

"So it's us, the leaders of KAX…"

"And the leaders of Eltar," finished Zedd.

Anebris clicked for several seconds straight behind Tommy, and the teen could hear the slave shuffling around.

"The leaders of Eltar? But isn't that bad?" asked the teen in alarm. "You said I'm a wanted man… if they know who I am… what I look like-"

Zedd raised a hand. "They are not expecting the green ranger to be in attendance; they aren't expecting anyone but me. You will pose as a normal soldier in my empire."

"But I'm human…I'm the only-"

" –o_fficer_ in my empire that is human," finished the emperor. "I have several soldiers who are human; they know this. It is easy to convince them that you have decided to join my empire after the invasion of your planet."

'_That shouldn't be too hard to pull off…you already turned your back on your people,'_ said the young voice in his head with dripping sarcasm.

"The worst thing for you to do as a wanted criminal is to reveal your identity to the Eltarians, which is why there is no danger in going to the meeting. Trust me, you are safe. You'll be wearing the black jacket with your uniform; they know only officers wear red."

Zedd paused. "Speaking of your appearance, there is also the matter of your – "

At his words, a soft slicing noise rang in the room, and Tommy's head suddenly felt much lighter than before. The green ranger's eyes widened in horror as he reached up, no longer feeling his long brown hair on his back.

" – hair," finished Zedd.

"No, no, no," said Tommy frantically, rising to his feet to turn angry green eyes on Anebris.

The slave stared at Tommy openly, ears turned inward as he clicked idly with a large pair of shears in his hand. The teen grabbed Anebris roughly, slamming the startled creature against the wall angrily.

"Thomas, release him," ordered Zedd.

"He cut my hair!" yelled the green ranger. "Are you fucking _crazy_?"

"Anebris was only acting on Master's orders," wheezed the slave. "Master said to cut Commander Oliver's hair."

"Release him, Thomas. He is only doing as I asked."

The green ranger breathed heavily, scowl deepening as he slammed Anebris into the wall once more before dropping him. The creature coughed violently, attempting to catch its breath.

"Why did you order him to do that?" asked the green ranger gruffly, fingers playing with the ends of his now shorter hair. It wasn't that he was necessarily attached to his hair, but he _had _been growing it out for a reason. All the great martial artists had long hair these days; to have it cut off was unthinkable.

'_And thanks to that dumbass, all my hard work was for nothing,' _he thought angrily.

'_Does it even matter? Earth is being blown to Hell and back… who gives a shit about the length of your hair? Anyone who would care will be dead.' _That was a sobering thought.

"Due to the design of the helmet, soldiers in my empire can't have long hair. Short hair is mandatory for all except ranking officers, whose uniforms are of their own design." Zedd pointed at Tommy. "The moment they catch sight of you with hair that length, they'll know who you are."

Tommy's jaw clenched tightly when he realized he had no choice but to go through with it. The teen sat stiffly in his chair. "Just hurry up and finish," he ordered harshly to Anebris, who refused to move. "Now," barked Tommy, "before I kill you."

The green ranger saw the emperor nod slightly and he heard shuffling behind him, tensing when he saw his hair fall at his feet.

"Do not take offense, Anebris. Understandably, Thomas has been caught off guard and is just having a difficult time adjusting to the change. He does not mean to lose his temper with you and _will_ refrain from doing so in the future." The words were spoken harshly and the teen understood the veiled threat in the emperor's words.

Tommy's jaw clenched tightly. "So we meet with them tomorrow. What are the terms of the treaty you're trying to negotiate?"

Lord Zedd sighed. "Under normal circumstances, I would offer to spare them in return for supplying my empire with goods, but given that the threat of war would be empty, I had to use a different tactic."

"Like?"

"The elders of KAX are easily fascinated by other cultures. They find value in their histories and practices and are avid traders."

"So is that what you're offering?" asked the teen. "The books and stuff you've acquired since becoming emperor? I thought all of that was really important to you."

"It is," admitted the emperor. "But a treaty with the KAX Union is a priority."

Tommy watched as the pile of hair near his feet grew steadily as Anebris moved behind him. "So what's the problem then? They're a bunch of hoarders and you have a sizeable collection of things they'd want… seems perfect."

"The problem," said Zedd tersely, "is that the Eltarians are offering the same thing. And even though they have less to give, there are certain ties between the two that I can't break."

"Such as?" asked the teen.

"Such as the power rangers. All but one team of rangers belongs to the Eltarian Empire. The Aquitian rangers, though trained by the same masters on Eltar, defend and fight only for the KAX Union. That is a trust that can't be broken.

"The Eltarians provided protection at a time when Aquitar needed them most, and as a result have heavy influence on decisions made by the KAX Union. Earth can technically be considered part of the Eltarian Empire due to the presence of Zordon and his team, but officially, it is not and I was free to pursue it as part of my empire." Zedd growled. "But knowing Gali –"

"Gali?" interrupted Tommy.

"The Head Elder of Eltar… and Zordon's father." The green ranger's eyes widened. "Gali is… _displeased_ to know that I have invaded the planet his son is supposed to protect and is spinning this invasion as an attack on his empire in order to pull KAX onto his side."

Tommy sighed. "So where do I come in? I'm not sure anything I can say will get them to join the Dark Empire."

"I don't expect you to achieve a miracle, Thomas," said Zedd with traces of amusement. "What I need is for you to convince them to remain neutral. Speak on behalf of Earth and convince the leaders of KAX to stay out of the invasion. I need their assurance that they won't help the Eltarians."

The green ranger frowned. "And you're sure I'm the one that can do that?"

"I trust no one else with this."

Tommy felt a strange mixture of nausea and pride at Zedd's words, pleased to know his emperor had such faith in him and sick to realize the responsibility he now had on his shoulders.

Soft clicks behind him brought his attention to Anebris, who he realized was no longer cutting his hair.

"Excellent job, Anebris," said Zedd. The slave clicked happily.

The green ranger brought a hand up to his head, eyes bugging when he realized just how short his hair was. He jumped from his seat, racing to the nearby window to look at his reflection in the glass. His hair was low to his head, somewhere between a Caesar and buzz cut. He played with the short fringes that rested against his forehead.

'_God…my hair hasn't been this short since I was seven…'_

Tommy had to admit, though, he didn't _hate_ his new haircut. Actually, he thought he looked pretty damn good. He chuckled to himself, wondering what Kim would say if she could see him now; she loved his long hair.

"_I hate you."_

_Tommy couldn't fight the grin that covered his face. "No you don't."_

_The girl beside him pouted, arms crossed over her chest. "Well, no…I don't hate you. I hate your hair."_

_He laughed, reaching out to play with a strand of her hair. "Kim, your hair is beautiful."_

_She rolled her eyes, a faint blush in her cheeks. "Duh…but your hair is so thick and curly and _ugh_…" She glared at him spitefully._

_The two were sitting down at their favorite table in the Youth Center. Kim had finished cheer tryouts early, and Tommy faked sick to get out of football practice. They were doing their English homework until their friends could meet them near the Juice Bar so they could head as a group to the movies to see _Mortal Kombat_._

"_You do realize that hair jealousy is not normal, right?" asked Tommy, setting down his pencil to flash a teasing smile._

_When he first came to Angel Grove, his hair came right around his shoulders; now, however, it extended beyond his shoulder blades. He usually wore it curly like it naturally was, but on this day he straightened it due to a bet he lost with Trini two days earlier. Needless to say, Kim had been moody since the moment she caught sight of him in Ms. Appleby's class._

"_It is for girls," she retorted shortly, reaching up to grab his hair. "It's so pretty," she cooed._

_Tommy made a disgusted face. "A man's hair isn't _pretty_, Kim. It's just hair." He gently removed her hand from his long locks. "Besides, I'm not growing it out to make you jealous – though that's an added bonus."_

_Kim rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. You're doing it because of your whole martial arts thing."_

"_Exactly," he confirmed. "All the masters have long hair."_

_She stared at him intently, hand trailing to play with the ends of his hair, causing him to tense slightly. She was leaning into his personal space now, and Tommy could make out the faint scent of vanilla coming from her._

"_You ever consider hacking it off?"_

_Tommy blinked out of his stupor. "What?"_

_Kim bit her lip, combing her fingers through his hair. "Your hair…are you going to cut it?"_

_He looked alarmed. "No! Does it look bad or something? Dad's been telling me to cut it for weeks but – "_

"_No," she said a little too quickly, fingers wrapping in his hair. "It looks gr– _good_. I was just wondering if you would after this is all over. Once you get out of this phase, I mean?"_

_Tommy shot her an incredulous look. "It's not a phase, Kim. You don't see me asking you if you'll ever stop wearing pink, do you?"_

_Kim flushed. "That's completely different."_

"_Not to me," he said, amused by her sudden discomfort. "Besides, the ladies seem to really love the long hair."_

_Kim laughed. "Oh please…they probably just want to cut it off while you're sleeping. Use it to make a wig or some extensions," she teased._

"_I don't know," he murmured. "Girls have been giving me the once-over ever since we got back from winter break."_

"_Please," scoffed Kim irritably, pulling her hand from his hair and focusing on her book. "You're being delusional…as usual."_

_A sly smirk grew on Tommy's face, and he leaned forward, now invading her personal space._

"_Come on, Kim, be honest." He grabbed her hand in his, thumb rubbing over her knuckles. "You're telling me you don't think I look good with long hair?"_

_His friend's eyes widened considerably before she averted her gaze, heat creeping up her neck and to her cheeks. "N-No," she stuttered._

_Tommy looked at her in surprise, unprepared for that reaction and he grinned in response._

"_Uh oh," he teased, poking her gently in the ribs. "Better not let Jason know you think I'm hot because of my hair, Kimmie."_

_She shoved him away from her. "Shut up," she hissed. "I _never_ said that."_

_Tommy laughed. "You didn't have to – it's all over your face." He watched her fidget uncomfortably. "Is that why you like to play with my hair?"_

_Kim shot him a startled look. "I do _not_ play with your hair."_

"_So I was just imagining your hands in my hair in biology today? And gym class?" He raised an eyebrow. "Kim, you've been playing with my hair since we got to the Youth Center."_

_Kim sputtered. "That wasn't…I didn't…" He started laughing. "_Shut up!_"Kim tried to shove him again but he grabbed her arms, holding her wrists so that she couldn't hit him._

"_Kim likes my hair," he said in a sing-song voice._

_She rolled her eyes, pulling away from him. "I'm ignoring you," she told him, attention re-directed to her book._

"_Kimmie _loves_ my hair," he said with exaggerated flair._

_She turned a page, still refusing to look at him._

_Tommy sighed, a pleased smile on his face. "Well, I guess now I'll just have to keep it long…wouldn't wanna upset you, would I?"_

_Kim covered her face with her book, putting a physical barrier between them to keep him from looking at her. She wasn't quick enough to keep Tommy from seeing the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips_

"Thomas?"

The green ranger blinked rapidly, pulling himself from his memory to look at the emperor before his eyes trailed down to the hopeful gaze of Anebris.

"S'all right, I guess," said the teen begrudgingly. "A little messy and a bit uneven in some places but –"

"I think," cut in Zedd loudly, "that Commander Oliver is trying to tell you that you did an excellent job, Anebris. You are dismissed."

The slave grinned at the two men before leaving the room. Lord Zedd made his way over to the green ranger, standing next to him as they looked out the window.

"I would try to be a bit nicer to Anebris if I were you, Thomas," said Zedd. "Just because he is a slave does not mean you should treat him as if he were dirt. Would you rather I treat you with the same respect given to humans throughout the universe?"

The teen flushed in embarrassment. "No, sir."

"Exactly," said the emperor. "And given that Anebris knows more about Serpentera than either of us, it would be in your best interest to show him respect."

Tommy crossed his arms over his chest, visibly uncomfortable at having Lord Zedd speak to him like a child. "Understood."

A hand clasped the teen's shoulder gently. "I am not upset with you, Thomas, only disappointed in your behavior."

'_Because that makes me feel loads better,' _thought the teen sourly.

"How you treat others is a reflection of your skills as a leader. Always keep that in mind."

'_Listen to him,'_ said the older voice.

Zedd squeezed his shoulder. "We will be on Kalderon in eight Earth hours. You should get some rest."

Tommy shook his head. "Not tired… besides, if I'm supposed to convince these people to do what seems to be impossible, I'm going to need to think about what to say."

"Of course," said the emperor as he released the green ranger, heading out of the room only to stop at the door. "I should probably tell you, the Kalderians have a tradition known as _norgklai_ that you will be expected to participate in."

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "What's _norgklai_?"

"An exchange between new friends. Since tomorrow will be your first time meeting them, you must have something to give."

The teen frowned. "Does it have to be anything in particular?"

"No."

"But it should be something nice?" Zedd nodded, and Tommy ran a hand over his face. "Dammit, I don't know if I have anything worth exchanging."

The emperor laughed. "Trust me, Thomas… I don't think it's _your_ gift you should be worried about." He exited the room, chuckling to himself.

The green ranger's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What the hell is _that _supposed to mean?"

* * *

**The Gates of **_**Eknit Kai**_

**Kalderon**

**Next morning**

**Local time, Dusk**

Tommy pulled at the collar of his jacket, finding the fabric itchy against the nape of his neck.

"Stop fidgeting," ordered Zedd. "The idea is to give the impression that you've been a soldier for some time."

"I'm sorry, but this jacket is really uncomfortable. How do normal soldiers deal with this? The one for officers is way more comfortable," said the teen.

Zedd's response was cut off when a loud horn sounded and the large iron gates of _Eknit Kai_ opened before them, revealing the temple behind. The large white marble building reminded Tommy of the palace from _Aladdin_. A small river surrounded _Eknit Kai_, and the surrounding landscape was covered in towering trees, freshly cut grass and beautiful dark blue flowers.

"Holy shit," breathed Tommy as he surveyed the area; he had never really seen anything quite like it before.

A thin green man in flowing silver robes was quickly approaching them down a white brick pathway, arms tucked into the sleeves of his robes. The man's black hair was dreadlocked, falling behind him and nearly touching the ground. A furry black tail danced idly behind him, whipping around softly in the air. He bowed once he reached the two.

"Emperor," he said softly before turning to look at the green ranger. "And who is your companion?"

"Norris," answered Tommy. "Carlos Norris."

He had decided early on that he would not use his true identity in case they knew his name, and there was no way anyone in space would know who Chuck Norris was. Besides, if Scorpina could go around calling herself Sabrina Scorpus, why couldn't he come up with a false identity as well?

The tall man smiled softly. "Hello, Carlos, it is an honor to meet you, my name is Alythi. If you would both please follow me."

He turned sharply, nearly slapping Tommy in the face with his hair. The teen growled lowly, eyes flashing green for a brief second. Zedd grabbed his arm roughly, pulling him close.

"Control your anger, Thomas," he hissed. "Unless you want your powers to get the best of you."

'_What?'_

'_Your eyes, dumbass. As soon as they see them glowing green, you'll give yourself away,'_ reminded the young voice.

The emperor released him, following behind Alythi. Tommy straightened out his jacket, close on Zedd's heels.

The three made their way up the steps of the building, through a set of golden double doors and down a long white corridor to an open room filled with the sounds of conversation. Alythi entered the room first, arms raised to get everyone's attention; a hushed silence fell over the room.

"Announcing the Emperor of the Dark Empire, Lord Zedd, and his companion, Carlos Norris."

Tommy followed Zedd into the room and he was startled by how large the room actually was. The walls were at least fifty feet high with gold statues lining the base. The room itself looked like a mini-coliseum with stone stadium seats facing a high table.

Behind the table sat six people, who Tommy surmised were the leaders of KAX. One pair looked like Alythi except with pale green skin and gold robes, and their hair was also dreadlocked and gray. The second pair looked like something straight out of Star Trek, with large purple beehive-shaped domes on their heads and an extra layer of skin around their eyes; a basin of water rested before them on the table. The last pair immediately made Tommy think of snakes. Their eyes were red on black and their skin nearly translucent with large scales on their necks, forearms and backs of their hands. Their red robes contrasted starkly with their white hair.

"I was not aware that you were bringing someone with you, Zedd," boomed a voice from the left.

Tommy turned to see what looked like a grumpy child glaring hatefully at his emperor. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the child was actually a very short man with extremely wrinkled skin in a royal blue cloak with silver trimming. With the man were six others, all in gray cloaks and wearing similar stern expressions.

"And_ I _was not aware that my actions needed to be discussed with you, Gali."

'_Ah, so this is Zordon's father.'_

The Eltarian gave a small smirk in return before turning to look at Tommy. "Who is the child?"

The hairs on the back of the green ranger's neck stood on end, irritated at being called a kid yet again. It took great effort, but the teen was able to control his anger. In stature, the man was quite laughable, but Tommy had enough sense to realize the power he wielded.

"One of my soldiers," answered Lord Zedd. "From Earth."

Gali looked at Tommy in surprise. "You willingly joined this man's army while your planet is being invaded?" His eyes narrowed. "And so young… you must be very ambitious, or is it very foolish?"

Zedd growled. "There is nothing foolish about serving one's emperor. You seem to have no problem with it when your precious rangers fight for you."

"Lord Zedd, Elder Gali. Enough," rasped one of the leaders of KAX tiredly from his perch. "Let us not begin another meeting with your bickering, please." The two emperors quieted.

The Xybrian turned red eyes to Tommy. "What is your name, soldier?"

"Carlos Norris, sir," answered the teen.

"Carlos Norris," repeated the Xybrian slowly, as if testing out the name. "Why are you here?"

"To speak on behalf of the people of Earth in the negotiations for a treaty between the Dark Empire and the KAX Union."

Murmurs broke out in the room at this, and one of the Kalderian leaders raised a hand. "Silence."

The KAX leaders spoke softly to each other for several seconds before calling over Alythi. Tommy watched from a distance, feeling slightly awkward from the stares coming from the Eltarians. He saw Alythi nod fervently at the KAX leaders, tail moving excitedly behind him before he turned and rushed over to Tommy.

"_Eknit_ will allow you to speak today. What is your offering for the _norgklai_?"

The green ranger's face scrunched up in confusion. "My offering? Oh… oh yeah, right. Hold on." He dug into his pocket, pulling out a small red object and putting it in Alythi's hands.

The Kalderian bowed before bringing the object to the elders, placing it before them. One of them picked it up, toying with it for some time before looking at Tommy.

"What is this?"

"It's a Swiss army knife," explained the teen. "May I?"

They indicated for him to come forward and he grabbed the multi-tool from them, revealing its hidden features, much to their delight. Tommy grinned as they passed the contraption around in wonder. He was a little sad to give up one of his favorite new toys he earned from the invasion, but he was sure he could get another one when he returned to Earth.

"A most excellent gift, Carlos. Alythi, show our visitor our gratitude and present him with one of our finest gnarlyths."

Alythi rushed off, and Tommy headed towards Lord Zedd with a smug smile. "You see that? They're giving me one of their finest gnarlyths."

Zedd laughed. "An honor indeed… a gnarlyth is a highly valued gift on Kalderon."

The green ranger beamed before confusion sunk in. "Wait. What's a gnarlyth?"

Zedd inclined his head, pointing at something behind the teen. Tommy turned, but jumped back in alarm when he saw a large fanged beast with two heads running straight at him. He tried to run, only to feel Zedd's hand wrap tightly around his bicep to hold him in place.

"Running only makes him chase you," whispered Zedd in amusement. "Do not be afraid."

The teen struggled to get away, knowing he stood no chance against the beast if he couldn't use his powers. "What the _fuck_ is _that_?" he shouted.

Alythi looked at him in confusion. "This is Zyltran… your gnarlyth."

The creature barked at Tommy, and the teen nearly pissed his pants. Zedd pushed the green ranger in front of him, digging his nails into the teen's sides and forcing him to stand up straight. The gnarlyth breathed heavily in Tommy's face, body hunched over so that it was eyelevel with him. Yellow eyes stared unflinchingly into Tommy's frightened brown eyes.

"Accept the gift. Refusal is the same as spitting on their culture," hissed Zedd harshly behind him. "Calm yourself_ now_."

Tommy swallowed nervously, willing his heart to beat slower. "Th-thank you. This is a wonderful gift." The creature barked again before sniffing Tommy's body, startling the green ranger terribly in the process. "Do you think it would be possible to lock it up or something? Just until the meeting i-is over?"

'_More like lock him away forever,'_ mumbled the young voice in his head.

"Ah, of course," said Alythi happily. "_Zyltran, gona iir lurek nasai_."

The beast gave one last sniff of the green ranger's face before backing away, exiting the room almost as quickly as it entered. It wasn't until the gnarlyth disappeared around the corner did Tommy relax, sagging limply against the emperor.

'_Why the _fuck_ would anyone give that _thing_ as a present? Jesus…'_

The emperor released the teen when he saw he was calming down and moved to take a seat in the front row. Tommy moved to sit next to him, only to stop at the sound of a deafening ring.

"We will begin our meeting now," said one the female Aquitians, bell in hand. "Lord Zedd, you have presented your side time and time again in these meetings, and Elder Gali, you have been just as vocal with your opinions." She turned to look at Tommy. "We wish to hear what the Earth boy has to say since this concerns his planet."

"But he's a _child_!" spoke up one of the Eltarians angrily. "A child fighting a war for the Dark Empire no less!"

'_You need to assert yourself, Tommy. If they think they can get away with talking about you like you don't exist, you've already lost,'_ hissed the older voice in his head.

"And that makes how I feel irrelevant?" asked Tommy angrily, not caring how rude he may have sounded. "Why is _your_ opinion more valid than mine?"

The Eltarian turned a cool gaze on the teen. "I possess more power and experience than you can comprehend, boy. You don't understand the seriousness of the situation."

"Maybe not, but what I do understand is that you are an old man from Eltar and that I am a child of Earth. Surely what I say about my own planet should have _some_ weight in this decision," he hissed coldly before turning to the leaders of KAX. "Permission to speak?"

"You have the floor, human."

Tommy stepped forward into the center of the room, eyes locked on the elders of KAX.

'_This is your chance, Tommy. They doubt you…make them regret it.'_

"My emperor has been trying to negotiate a treaty between your union and his empire, a treaty that I know that the Eltarians oppose."

"And how do you feel about the treaty?" asked one of the Xybrians.

"I will always support my emperor. I know that he only acts in the best interest of his people," said Tommy.

"And what of the claim that he would use the treaty to gain access to our resources and use them to harm the people of Earth? Your people?"

'_Careful with this, Tommy,'_ warned the dark voice.

Tommy furrowed his brow. "Well, isn't that just speculation? What proof is there that Lord Zedd wants to use those resources for war? We all know that adamantite, hycurium and dilithium have more than just one use."

"You must admit, Carlos, that your emperor's desire for such resources can only be for one reason," interrupted Gali. "The rebellion on KO-35 is proof of this."

'_And Gali would know all about the rebellion on KO-35, wouldn't he?'_

"You can't condemn a person because they have the _potential _to do something wrong; we'd all be guilty." The teen frowned. "And correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't these same resources being used on other planets in the Dark Empire, like Edenoi? To not only restructure the planet but also strengthen the economy? Why is it so hard to believe that Lord Zedd wishes to use them for a similar purpose on Earth? My planet could certainly use his influence given the state of things, and so far, the invasion has been peaceful. "

'_You know that's a lie,' _said the young voice softly.

"So you disagree with Elder Gali that providing Lord Zedd with these resources will negatively impact your planet?" asked the male Aquitian.

"Absolutely," said the teen firmly. "Though it's not all surprising that Elder Gali has such a skewed perception of right and wrong."

Tommy heard the older voice in his head chuckle when he saw flash of annoyance on the Eltarians' faces. _'You're pissing them off…good.'_

Tommy could see a small twitch in Gali's jaw. "Meaning what exactly, soldier?"

"Meaning that the Dark Empire is the only power that opposes Eltar, so naturally anything Lord Zedd does that threatens your control is considered wrong."

There was a pregnant pause.

"Don't be ridiculous, boy," scoffed Gali with a dismissive wave. "This has nothing to do with control or power. Right and wrong is a matter of legality, not bias. Murder, even during an invasion-"

"–is only considered murder if the intent is to kill. The deaths of soldiers is an anticipated byproduct of war and cannot be considered murder for that reason," finished Tommy. "We are all familiar with the intergalactic law, Elder Gali."

'_Cool it, Tommy. You're a soldier, not his equal.' _Tommy took a deep breath, attempting to hold back his attitude.

The Head Elder narrowed his eyes. "And what about the civilian casualties?"

"Well you said it yourself, _casualties_. The intent was not for them to die, so it's not murder under the law."

Tommy reveled in the anger building in the Eltarian leader's eyes, and it only pushed him to irritate the Eltarian more. "And given the damage done by your empire to my planet, I would hope_ you_ more than anyone would understand the difference."

Gali laughed outright. "Damage done by _my_ empire?" The Eltarian turned to Lord Zedd. "That's a strong accusation from a mere soldier."

"My apologies, Elder Gali," said Tommy with false sincerity. "It was not my intention to offend you or your empire, only to point out what I _assumed_ was an obvious fact."

"_Fact_?" barked Gali, the first traces of anger appearing in his pale face. "My empire has done nothing but selflessly provide warriors to protect your people. It is your emperor who has done all the damage."

Tommy glared at him coldly. "Lord Zedd has done nothing different than you."

"It appears your cheek knows no bounds, boy." Gali's eyes blazed with blue energy. "How dare you compare the good my warriors have done to _anything_ that monster has brought on your people? He came to your planet to conquer; we came to protect."

"And who _asked_ for your protection?" asked Tommy angrily as he paced the floor. "Your rangers have brought nothing but destruction to my planet since the day they arrived. Hundreds of people have suffered since they appeared on Earth; they use my planet as their battlefield and it's the rest of us that bear the scars."

He was hit with a memory of being locked in the holding cell in the Lunar Palace, Goldar's blade slicing his flesh open. None of that would have happened if it weren't for the rangers… for Jason…

'_Pull yourself together, Tommy. You have him where you want him,'_ urged the older voice.

"The rangers only fight against those who threaten peace," said Gali firmly, attention on the leaders of KAX.

"A peace that wasn't threatened _until they showed up_, if I'm not mistaken," countered the teen.

Gali stood, anger evident on his face. "Zedd, it would be in your best interest to tame your soldier's tongue… lest he wishes to lose it."

Lord Zedd's fingers clicked as he strummed them rhythmically against his staff. "_Eknit_ asked to hear what Carlos has to say. Surely you're not expecting me to defy them?"

Gali pointed at Tommy. "_Eknit_, do not listen to this boy. His mind has been poisoned with Zedd's lies."

Tommy gritted his teeth, fighting to keep his power under control. "I'm more than capable of making my own decisions, Elder Gali."

Gali shot him a strange look. "What did he promise you to get you to betray your people, child? Power? Wealth?" asked the elder curiously. "He's lying to you and has filled your head with false promises in order to keep you at his side."

"No different than the false promises you and your rangers tell my people," hissed the teen, anger boiling in his veins. "You swore to protect us, to keep us safe… it's only a shame it took us so long to realize _you_ were the real threat."

Blue energy cackled in Gali's hands, startling the green ranger. "You insolent little-"

"SILENCE!" yelled one of the Kalderian elders. The room was filled with an unbearable tension. "There will be no more arguing today."

Her gaze shifted to the Eltarian. "Elder Gali, stand down." She pointed at Tommy. "Speak, and make your point clear _without_ antagonizing anyone."

The teen nodded before throwing a furtive glance at the Eltarians. "I apologize to _eknit_. It was not my intention to start an argument."

'_You're so full of shit,'_ said the young voice. _'That was exactly what you wanted.'_

"I simply attempted to prove a point." Tommy took a deep breath. "The Eltarians argue that a treaty with the Dark Empire is the same as promoting war on Earth. I can't speak for the actions of my emperor, but I can say that not signing the treaty because of that possibility is unfair as the Eltarians have an equal chance of being destructive and have proven so already on my planet under the pretense of providing help." He held up a hand when he saw Gali move to argue. "Destruction, regardless of the intention behind it, is still destruction and must be recognized for what it is. That's all I ask _eknit _to do."

The Eltarian closed his mouth, and Tommy could feel the anger rolling off of him in waves.

The leaders of KAX huddled together, whispering amongst themselves for several minutes. Tommy took the seat next to Lord Zedd, who appeared to have no reaction to anything that was said. The teen couldn't tell if the emperor was pleased or not, and it made him slightly nervous.

_Eknit_ separated, turning to face the people in front of them. "We have considered your words carefully, Carlos Norris, but we are unable to come to a decision now."

Tommy frowned in disappointment. _'Dammit.'_

"The Festival of Vis begins tonight on Aquitar and lasts until the new moon. After the festival has ended, we will meet again to discuss our decision on the treaty. All of you will be notified when a decision has been made.

"Alythi, please bring Zyltran to the gate to be taken with Carlos back to their ship. This meeting will resume in one week's time." A bell rang, signaling the end of the meeting.

The teen paled, having completely forgotten about the beast he had been given earlier. _'That thing's going to be on Serpentera? Shit.'_

Zedd and Tommy rose to their feet. "Is that thing really coming with us? We can't just dump it somewhere nearby?"

"Hush, Thomas," he growled in response, much to the teen's chagrin.

'_Dammit.'_

"That was quite the calculated move on your part, Zedd," said a voice from below. The two looked down to see Gali looking up at them. "Using an Earth boy to fight your battles… such cowardice is typical of you."

"You would know best about having children fight your battles, Gali," growled Zedd. "If you'll excuse me."

The emperor walked past the Eltarian, Tommy right behind him. The teen stopped when Gali moved directly into his path, blocking his exit.

"Elder Gali," said the teen shortly with a stiff bow.

"I see why he brought you today," commented the elder. "Obnoxious, ill-mannered, arrogant… but also intelligent and persistent. It's no wonder he allowed you to join his army, though I would think your skills are wasted as just a lowly soldier." He peered at the teen. "Do you agree, Carlos?"

Tommy's face remained impassive as the Eltarian looked at him searchingly. "I'll take that as a compliment." He moved around the Eltarian.

"He'll betray you." Tommy paused in his tracks. "You're blinded by your loyalty to him, but he'll dispose of you when you've lost your worth. I guarantee it."

He held Gali's gaze until he heard Lord Zedd calling for him, and he turned to see the emperor waiting impatiently at the exit of the _Eknit Kai_.

Tommy turned back to Gali. "I think I'll take my chances."

The teen walked away, joining Zedd on his journey back to the gates of _Eknit Kai_, never once looking back.

* * *

**Serpentera **

**Lord Zedd's Study**

**Between Kalderon and Aquitar**

**Same day**

**Local time, unknown**

"You were incredibly rude during the negotiations. I don't think I've ever seen someone treat a superior with such outright disrespect."

Tommy sank low in his seat, a deep frown on his face as Zedd pointed out all the things he did wrong at the KAX meeting. It was interfering with his digestion.

"You were careless, completely out of line…"

The green ranger sulked. When he came down to have dinner with the emperor, he wasn't expecting a lecture for dessert. He would have gladly said no and eaten alone had he known. Now, his only option was to sit and take the verbal attack.

"…but most importantly, you were exceptional today, Thomas," said the older man.

The teen blinked rapidly, unsure if he heard the man correctly. "I- what?"

Zedd chuckled. "Gali was absolutely _furious_ with how you spoke to him today. His council rarely argues with him on anything; it had to aggravate him to have a soldier from my empire challenging him on everything he said. That was truly enjoyable."

Tommy broke into a wide grin. "Really?"

"Oh, yes," confirmed the emperor. "The negotiations today went far better than I had anticipated. Not only did you upset the Eltarians, but I think you may have given _eknit_ a reason to think twice about helping Eltar."

The teen flushed. "I just said what came to my head."

"Then I am in your debt." Zedd grabbed a bottle off the table, pouring two cups. "I was serious about your behavior today, however. Even if you don't like Gali and the Eltarians, it is important that you always show respect to those who have more power than you." He pushed one of the cups towards the teen. "But now, it's time to celebrate."

Tommy held the cup in his hand, staring at the contents warily. He knew from the smell that it was _Daem_.

"Thomas, I know you don't drink, but this is a special occasion. We may have gotten the edge we need over the Eltarians. One night is all I ask, and then you can return to abstaining."

The teen bit his lip. He really was thirsty… and one night wasn't _too_ bad. And besides, Zedd was right, this _was _reason to celebrate.

'_Oh this is just perfect. So we have murderer, sociopath, egoist, pretentious prick…you wanna add budding alcoholic to your list of fine attributes?' _asked the young voice in disgust. _'Kim would be so proud.' _

His grip on the cup tightened considerably at that thought. The voice was right – if Kim could see him now, it would be yet _another _reason for her to yell and scream at him about how much he sucked as a person or wasn't like Jason.

'_I don't want someone who drinks around my baby… Jason would never be so irresponsible…blah blah blah.'_ He could hear her so clearly in his head.

'_Fuck her. Zedd's right; I was awesome today. I deserve to enjoy myself.'_

Tommy gulped down half the cup before he lost his nerve, choking a bit as it rushed down the wrong pipe.

The emperor laughed, slapping a hand on the teen's back. "Drink slowly, Thomas. _Daem_ is not enjoyable if you treat it like water."

Tommy nodded, catching his breath before trying again. He took a tentative sip of the cool liquid, surprised to find that it tasted like melted milk chocolate. It warmed his throat, stinging quite a bit as it went down until it reached his stomach which felt as if it were slowly roasting. He didn't feel anything he thought he should; instead of lightheaded and silly, he felt more alert and calm than ever before.

"You like?" asked an amused Zedd.

Tommy swirled the drink around in his cup before finishing it off. "More, please."

The teen had the distinct feeling that if Lord Zedd could smile, he'd be grinning when he poured Tommy another cup.

"Where's Scorpina?" asked Tommy suddenly. "I thought she'd be here to celebrate the good news."

Tommy had seen Scorpina a total of three times since they left the Lunar Palace for space. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing; the farther away she was from him meant the farther away she was from Zedd and telling him anything about Kimberly.

"She's having dinner with her husband aboard the Sextans, I believe," answered Zedd.

The teen made a disgusted noise at the word "husband." It still grossed him out to know that Scorpina and Goldar were _married_. Scorpina was all right, but Goldar? Him being with anyone was unthinkable, especially someone as hot as Scorpina.

Zedd laughed. "The thought of Goldar and Scorpina upsets you?"

The teen shook his head before taking another long sip of his drink. "Just the thought of Goldar is enough."

"It's unfortunate you still feel that way, especially since you'll be seeing him tomorrow."

'_It's also unfortunate that he took a knife to my face for shits and giggles…'_

The green ranger scowled. "I'm leaving for the Sextans so soon?"

"You must. The negotiations with the KAX Union won't resume for some time, giving you the time to work with Goldar and Scorpina on the situation on KO-35."

The teen nodded slowly. "I see," he said gruffly. He grabbed the bottle of _Daem_, pouring himself another half a cup before Zedd gently took the bottle away.

"I think you've had enough for tonight."

Tommy's face scrunched up in confusion. He didn't feel drunk at all… not that he knew what that actually felt like. All he knew was that he liked how he felt at the moment. It wasn't as strong as the rush he felt from sex or even from fighting – it was more like the high he felt whenever he used his Dragonzord.

He felt like he was flying.

"But I feel fine," he argued.

'_I don't think I've ever felt better.'_

"And if you want to stay that way, you'll stop," said Zedd sternly, leaving no room for argument.

Tommy sighed, resigning himself to the bit of _Daem_ left in his cup. "Fine."

Zedd chuckled in response. "I'm sure you'll live if you stop for tonight, Thomas. No need to be upset."

The green ranger's eyes narrowed. "Why do you call me that?"

"Thomas?" The teen nodded. "It's your name."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Well, yeah, but you used to call me Tommy. Why are you calling me Thomas all of a sudden?" It was something that had always been on the teen's mind. He didn't exactly mind being called Thomas since it _was_ his name, but still, he wondered.

"Because you're not a child," answered Zedd.

Tommy snorted. "That not what everyone else around here says. It's usually boy or child… pup if you ask Goldie…"

Zedd's visor flashed red. "You've accomplished more in the last few weeks than most men have in their whole lives. Age is irrelevant; how you act is more important."

The teen could feel heat rush to his neck. "So you call me Thomas because it's manlier than Tommy?"

Zedd seemed to consider this. "A name is a reflection of a person's character, to an extent. Thomas is a much stronger name than Tommy, and I feel it's appropriate for who you've grown to be." He paused. "Do you wish for me to call you Tommy?"

Tommy shook his head, mollified by Zedd's explanation. "No, I just – " He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Thank you," he murmured.

The door behind them opened suddenly, and Tommy turned to see Anebris in the doorway. "Master's presence is requested by Commander Rygog in the control room."

"Ah, of course. Let him know I'll be right there." Anebris gave a soft click before leaving the room.

"How is Rygy?" asked the teen. "Haven't really heard much from him lately."

"That's a strange question, coming from you. I was under the impression that you were not fond of Commander Rygog."

Tommy stretched lazily. "I'm not. I think he's an asshole… but he's heading my invasion. I just want to know how that's going."

"_Your_ invasion?" Zedd chuckled. "You know as well as I do that Rygog is fully capable of handling the invasion of Earth. I wouldn't leave someone who was incompetent to handle something so important. Do you have a reason to be concerned?"

The image of Kimberly instantly flashed in his mind. "No, I – " The teen paused, shaking his head. "Rygog and I disagreed on the way the invasion was being carried out. I wanted to make sure he followed my orders."

The emperor nodded. "I know well of Rygog's unhappiness with sparing civilians, but he has assured me he will only take the necessary actions to achieve victory."

Tommy frowned at this, not at all reassured that Rygog wouldn't kill without provocation. Rygog's definition of "necessary" was very different from the green ranger's.

Zedd stood, stretching his neck from side to side. "Anebris will beam you aboard the Sextans tomorrow morning. I strongly recommend that you head to bed now. You drank quite a bit of _Daem_ and need to sleep it off if you plan to be productive tomorrow."

The teen nodded slowly. "Right."

The emperor patted his shoulder before leaving the room. "Goodnight, Thomas."

"Night," whispered the teen.

Tommy traced random patterns on the table as he stared out the window at the stars. From their current position between Kalderon and Aquitar, he had a clear view of KO-35, which looked a bit smaller than Earth. KO-35 was brown where earth was green, yellow where it was white. He could make out pink swirls mixed in with the yellow clouds.

The sight of pink caused his thoughts to stray, and Kim's smiling face instantly came to mind. He wondered if she had ever been to KO-35 or the KAX Union since becoming a ranger. Zordon had to have sent them to help out other planets – that's what goody-two-shoes did, right? Help those in need where ever they could?

'_Kim must've loved it the first time she went out of space,' _thought Tommy with a small smile. _'She always did love travelling. Maybe our baby will like it, too.'_

Tommy blinked hard before shaking his head, disturbed from that last thought. _'Where the hell did _that_ come from?'_

He was a little surprised none of the voices in his head decided to give commentary on that. And the more he thought about it, Tommy realized he hadn't heard from them for quite some time.

It was refreshing.

'_Maybe it's the Daem…this shit is magic if that's the case. Why the hell did I wait so long to drink it?'_

His eyes trailed over to the open bottle on the table, and his hand twitched involuntarily. One more sip couldn't hurt…

'_No Tommy…you heard him. No more for the night. You need to sleep,'_ he told himself._ 'And this was only a one-time thing.'_

The teen groaned, pulling himself to his feet only to nearly fall backwards onto his ass. He stumbled, grabbing onto the nearby wall to steady himself. "Holy shit!" he whispered in alarm. "Fuck."

He made his way to the door, opening it and stumbling down the hallway. He pressed his hands against his temples as he sagged against the wall. He could see clearly and was pretty sure he was lucid, but he had no control over his body.

"Does Commander Oliver need help?"

Tommy jumped, looking to his right to see Anebris staring up at him in concern. "Where the _hell_ did you come from?"

"Master sent me to find you."

'_Smart man…he must've known I'd end up like this.' _Tommy nodded. "Yeah, I… help me to my room, Anebris."

The fish creature clicked happily before grabbing hold of Tommy's forearm, leading him to his quarters. The teen felt as if they were taking an incredibly long way back to his room, not remembering taking so many turns to get to Zedd's study. In fact, he was pretty sure they were lost.

"Anebris, are you sure we're going the right way?" he asked thickly.

The creature clicked. "Yes. This is commander's room," he said, pointing at a door down the hall.

They made their way over, and Tommy's eyes widened when he saw Anebris tap in a series of numbers on the control panel before the door slid open.

"How did you do that?" he asked in wonder. "I thought only I could get in my room."

Anebris blinked at him. "Anebris used the manual override to get into commander's room."

Tommy stared blankly at the slave for several seconds before smiling. "You're _really_ smart, Anebris."

The creature's ears turned outward, opening wide. "Thank you, commander."

The slave pulled Tommy into his quarters, leading the teen over to his bed. Tommy sat down, eyes heavy as he stared down at Anebris who was taking off his boots. A thought suddenly came to him.

"Has he tried to kill you yet?"

The creature cocked his head to the side. "Commander?"

"My new pet…the dog-horse-bear-thing," explained Tommy. The gnarlyth he received from the Kalderians was locked away in the hangar of Serpentera. Tommy hadn't looked at the thing once since leaving Kalderon, immediately putting it under Anebris' care until further notice.

"Oh, Zyltran!" exclaimed Anebris excitedly. "No, commander. Zyltran is a good gnarlyth and very well-trained. Zyltran won't kill unless told to."

Tommy didn't believe a word Anebris told him, but he didn't have the energy to argue with the slave, suddenly feeling very tired. The teen shrugged off his jacket, tossing it onto the floor as he crawled up his bed to the pillows.

"You c'n 'ave 'im if you wan'," he said around a loud yawn.

"Oh no, Anebris could not accept such a gift," said the slave sincerely. "Zyltran is Commander Oliver's pet."

Tommy's eyes drooped and he spoke into the pillow. "Won' mind. Promise."

The last thing Tommy remembered seeing was Anebris' fanged smile as he turned off the lights and left the room.

* * *

**Tommy Oliver's Mind**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**Daylight**

"_Well…this is new," Tommy mumbled as he walked slowly down the street._

_His dreams usually took place somewhere far away, not right outside of his house. The area was filled with dead silence instead of the usual sounds of children playing or cars driving past. _

_It put him on edge. "Way too quiet," he murmured softly._

_The door to each house along the street was wide open, but Tommy could see no one inside the homes. It was as if they all just up and left._

_The sun beamed down on him, and he squinted while looking into the distance. Sudden movement from behind a nearby tree caught his eye, and he headed over, curious as to what it was._

'Maybe someone's here.'

"_Hello?" he called out as he walked over to the tree. "There's no need to hide from – oh _fuck_…"_

_Hanging from the tree was a man in a suit, body still jerking wildly. His briefcase slipped out of his hand from his shaking, falling hard to the ground next to Tommy's feet._

_Tommy jumped back in fright, the back of his foot connecting with something heavy on the ground before he fell in a heap on the grass. He stared wide-eyed at the man's glazed eyes, his feet twitching sporadically as the life drained from him._

_Tommy felt wetness on his right hand, and he looked down, troubled to see his hand resting in a growing pool of blood. He let out a startled cry when he realized the blood was gushing from a gash in someone's neck, soaking into his clothes._

_He was sitting on a dead body._

_Tommy shot to his feet, heart racing when he saw the lifeless body of a child on the ground. He looked around in fear when he saw hundreds of dead bodies littering the small neighborhood, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. Bodies were hanging from windows, trees, lying in the streets…_

_The homes that were perfectly fine moments ago were now mere ruins. Some of them were burned down to the ground while others were missing whole sections, as if blown away by an explosion. A few houses had cars protruding out of them at odd angles, tires spinning slowly._

'I need to get the hell out of here…what the fuck kinda dream is this?'

_He wiped the blood from his hand onto his shirt, carefully stepping over the bodies to get to his house. His feet crunched against the blood-soaked grass, shards of glass fracturing beneath his weight._

_He approached his own two-story blue and white house hesitantly. The door hung loosely from its hinges, and it fell off completely when he pushed the door open to get inside. Streaks of blood were on the blue carpet, and he nearly gagged at the stench of death in the air._

"_Mom?" he called out. "Dad?"_

"_In here," replied his mother._

_Tommy slowly made his way to the kitchen, passing several scorch marks and holes along the wall._

_He smiled with relief when he saw her pouring drinks, her right side facing him._

"_The food is done now. Go put your stuff down and get ready for dinner."_

_She turned to him with a smile, and Tommy let out a choked gasp when he caught sight of the rest of her body. While the right side of her body was fine, the left side was severely burned. Some of the skin was melted away, and he could see gaping holes in her flesh._

_She cocked her head to the side. "What's wrong with you, honey? You look like you've seen a ghost."_

_Tommy stared blankly at her, heart pounding thunderously in his ears. She pointed behind him with a skinless finger. "Your father is already in the dining room. Go keep him company."_

_Tommy swallowed harshly, willing himself to stop trembling. "Mom…"_

_Sandra laughed, and he flinched when he saw the muscles in her face contract from the action._

"_No, Tommy. No peeking. Now shoo!" She pushed him towards the dining room, and he involuntarily shivered at her touch._

_Tommy made his way to the dining room in a daze, and he found himself looking at the back of his father's head. He slowly took his seat next to his father, and he paled when he caught sight of the older man's face._

_Frank Oliver's eyes were gone, as if they had been ripped from his face. Blood poured from the gaping holes, down his tanned face and onto his blue button-down shirt. There was a large hole in his chest where his heart was supposed to be, and it freaked Tommy out to see the back of the chair through his father's body. Frank turned to look at Tommy, an eerie smile crossing his unseeing, bloody face._

"_Hi, son. How was school today?"_

_The urge to vomit was overwhelming, and Tommy closed his eyes, concentrating on forcing back the bile rising in his throat._

'Wake up…wake up now…' _he told himself._

"_Your father asked you a question, Tommy. Don't be rude," Sandra said as she placed their drinks on the table, moving to take her own seat at the other end._

_Tommy's eyes were focused on the bloody handprint that remained on his glass, willing it to go away._

"_Maybe he's just tired, dear," said Frank's corpse. "You can tell he had a pretty rough day."_

_The green ranger's elbows rested on the table, head in his hands . _'What the fuck is going on?' _He recognized the telltale signs of a migraine, and he squeezed his eyes shut from the pain._

'Maybe if I concentrate hard enough it'll all go away…'

_A loud crash broke his concentration, and his head snapped up in alarm; he was surprised to find himself alone at the kitchen table. The cup of water in front of him was the only thing there, free of any bloodstains. He looked around, not finding his parents anywhere._

_Shuffling in the living room caught his ears, and he got up, confused when he saw someone lying on his couch._

"_Who the fuck are you?" asked Tommy. _

'There's entirely too much weird shit going on.'

"_**Couldn't agree more,"**__ replied the person on the couch, and Tommy was shocked to hear his own voice._

_He watched as the figure sat up, rising to his feet. He wore baggy, dark denim jeans, a green and black Bruce Lee sweatshirt, and matching green and black Nike shoes. He pulled the hood off of his head, revealing large headphones on his ears that were connected to a CD player in the front pocket of his hoodie._

_Staring Tommy in the face was none other than himself, albeit slightly younger. His hair was down to his shoulders, curling slightly at the ends. He had no scar over his right eye, and his brown eyes seemed bright and happy._

"_**I'd introduce myself, but that seems kinda pointless, don't ya think?"**__ said the younger him. __**"Just call me T."**_

_Tommy massaged his temples. "Just what I need…another figment of my imagination."_

_T glared. __**"Except I'm not. I'm as real as you are."**_

_The green ranger raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"_

_T sighed in annoyance. __**"All of this shit," **__he motioned around them,__** "is a figment of your imagination. The houses and the dead people…our creepy parents…that's in your head." **__T pointed to himself. __**"But me? I'm not a part of your imagination. I'm…**_**different**_**."**_

_The younger boy shot him a look. __**"And by the way, your head's **_**really**_** fucked up, bro. What's wrong with you?"**_

_Tommy's nostrils flared. "Thank you for the commentary, _T_…but you still haven't explained who you are or why you're here."_

_The younger teen pushed his sleeves up his arms. __**"I'm **_**you**_**…the old you is a better way to look at it. l prefer to think of myself as the better version of you but to each his own."**_

_Tommy cocked his head. "The _better_ me?"_

"_**Yeah, you know, from before you went batshit and joined Zedd…like a dumbass." **__T shook his head.__** "Poor choice, my friend. Definitely did **_**not**_** think that one through, did ya?"**_

_There was something familiar about the way he spoke and the things he said that nagged at Tommy. The green ranger's eyes narrowed._

"_Wait…you're not – you're one of the voices in my head, aren't you?" realized Tommy. "The one that's a smartass..."_

_T grinned. __**"Ding ding! We have a winner! **__"He scratched his stomach. __**"Got any food? I'm starving."**_

"_How the hell can you be hungry? You're a thought…" Tommy wondered._

"_**So what? I can't be hungry, too?"**__ muttered T as he headed off to the kitchen. __**"Jackass."**_

_Tommy rolled his eyes. _'Was I really that irritating when I was sixteen?'

"_**Yes," **__spoke a new, deeper voice. __**"But don't take that as a good thing…you're only slightly less annoying at eighteen."**_

_Standing in the doorway of his house was another Tommy, though this one was much older. His hair was cut short and spiked on top of his head, and rectangular glasses framed his face. He wore a black fitted shirt, crimson slacks, a black belt, and polished black shoes. In his arms was a red military-style jacket, and Tommy could make out the words 'ADM. OLIVER' embroidered over the chest pocket, which bore Lord Zedd's insignia. His eyes gave off a permanent eerie green glow._

_The newcomer hung up his jacket on a nearby coat rack, and he faced Tommy with a stern expression._

"_**Admiral Thomas Oliver."**__ He stuck out his hand. __**"You may refer to me as Tom."**_

_Tommy stared at the offered hand before gripping it in a firm shake. "_Admiral_?"_

_Tom opened his mouth to speak, only to close it and scowl when he caught sight of T coming out of the kitchen. The boy had a bag of Cheetos in one hand and a large chicken sandwich in the other, crumbs gathered around his mouth._

"_**Why is the idiot here?"**__ asked Tom impatiently. __**"He adds nothing of use to the conversation…ever."**_

_The younger boy swallowed the food in his mouth before glaring. __**"I was here first, bro."**__ T turned to Tommy. __**"I didn't realize Captain Psycho would be here."**_

"_**Admiral,"**__ corrected the older man._

_The younger teen shook his head. __**"Leave it to the soulless general to make an unwanted appearance."**_

"**Admiral**_**," **__stressed Tom through gritted teeth._

"_Can you two _please_ shut up?" yelled Tommy in exasperation. "You're giving me a headache."_

_T snickered. __**"You sound like Rita."**_

_Tommy glared at his younger self, and the boy quieted quickly._

"_**What is the problem, Tommy?"**__ asked Tom._

_Tommy eyed the older version of himself. "If he's one of the voices in my head, I'm guessing you're the other one?" At Tom's nod, Tommy continued. "I see…but _why_ are you here?"_

_T plopped down on the couch. __**"You ever see **_**A Nightmare Before Christmas**_**?"**_

_Tommy nodded slowly, confused by the reference. "Yeah…."_

"_**Well, it's sorta like that."**_

_Tom scoffed. __**"It's not **_**A Nightmare Before Christmas**_**…it's **_**A Christmas Carol**_**, dumbass."**_

_T raised his middle finger in response. __**"**_**Anyway**_**, like I was saying, this is like **_**A Christmas Carol**_**. We're like the ghosts…and you're Scrooge."**_

_Tommy shook his head. "That doesn't make any sense; neither of you are real. None of this is real," the green ranger insisted._

_The admiral cleared his throat, glaring sharply at T. __**"All right, it's like this, Tommy. We're here to fix things."**_

_T nodded emphatically. __**"Yeah, man. Have you **_**been**_** inside your head lately?"**_

_He couldn't argue with them on that point. The voices in his head had only gotten louder and stronger since the invasion started. And now they were in his dreams, taking on actual forms inside his head. If this was a reflection of his mental state, he was worse than he thought._

_Tom continued. __**"Think of your mind like a battlefield…"**_

_T groaned loudly. __**"Of **_**course**_** he'd use war analogies-"**_

_The older man's voice rose to speak over the younger teen. __**"There's one side, there's the other, and then there's the place in between where they fight it out." **__He pointed at Tommy. __**"That's where you are right now: in limbo."**_

"_**You got a couple of screws missing around here,"**__ said T.__**"And until those screws are put back in place, you're gonna stay lost."**_

_The older teen rolled his eyes. "I'm not lost. I have_ –"

"_**Everything under control?"**__ T laughed. __**"You've got to be **_**shitting**_** me. You planted the seeds for a mass genocide of your own people, you got Kim knocked up and you're scared shitless about Zedd finding out about the baby because of Scorpina and what he'll do. You have **_**nothing**_** under control."**_

_Tom stared at the green ranger with his arms crossed over his chest. _

"_**We're a part of you, Tommy. The form we take… what we say and do? That's all up to you. We're not here on our own; **_**you**_** brought **_**us**_** here because you **_**need **_**us."**_

_Tommy crossed his arms with a scoff. "_Need_ you? You're my thoughts, how the hell can I need you? _I created you_." The green ranger shook his head. "No, the only thing I need is for you to get out of my head once and for all. There's nothing wrong with me."_

"_**I beg to differ,"**__ muttered T._

"_**You made us for a reason, Tommy,"**__ explained the older man patiently. __**"You just don't know why yet."**_

_Tommy shook his head. "I'm just stressed, obviously." The teen paced. "With all the fighting and the missions, it's no wonder…and the baby doesn't help either…"The green ranger mumbled to himself as he rationalized what was going on. This was no doubt a normal response to everything going on in his life. He knew he should've talked to Finster about the voices before he left._

_Tom snorted, mumbling under his breath. __**"Because that's just a **_**fabulous**_** idea."**_

"_Shut up," hissed Tommy irritably. "All right, look…let's speed this up. What do you guys want? Nice trick with my parents, by the way. Had me going for a second with your little illusions. I would never dream up something like that."_

"_**We don't do things to upset you; we only show you what we know to be true,"**__ explained T vaguely._

"_Meaning?" asked Tommy impatiently._

"_**Your true desires."**_

_T snapped his fingers, and the environment around them changed. They were at Angel Grove Park near the lake, and Tommy found himself resting on a blanket with Kimberly. Next to them was a white bassinet where delighted shrieks could be heard, and he knew without question that it was their baby._

_An involuntary smile made its way across Tommy lips as he watched Kimberly coo softly to the baby. He had never seen Kim as happy as she was in that moment. She turned to him, indicating with her hand that she wanted him to come to her and their child. Tommy tentatively crawled over, reaching inside the bassinet and lifting up the veil that covered the squirming bundle. He frowned in confusion when he saw no baby, but instead a floating ball of green energy._

_Tom reached into the basket and grabbed the energy ball, and he threw it down hard on the ground. Everything around them set on fire, startling Tommy and forcing him to scramble backwards. Tom waved his hand in a high arc, putting out the flames that towered over them. _

_Tommy climbed to his feet, confused when he looked down to see himself in his green ranger power suit, staring out at hundreds of thousands of unfamiliar faces dressed in the official uniform of the Dark Empire. Each person held a weapon in hand, and their eyes were trained on him. Beside Tommy stood Lord Zedd at his throne, a hand firmly clasping the green ranger's shoulder._

_The soldiers began chanting Tommy's name loudly, feet stomping in rhythm with their chants. The effect was hypnotic, and Tommy grinned at the surge of adrenaline that hit him at the sound of his own name. He lifted his Dragon dagger into the air, which resulted in a deafening uproar as the soldiers cheered. _

_Tom clapped his hands twice, causing a white light to flash brightly, blinding the green ranger. Tommy blinked, startled when he found himself back in his living room seated comfortably on his couch. Tom and T stood in front of him wearing curious expressions._

_The teen swallowed thickly, throat suddenly dry. "Why is this happening?"_

"_**So you believe us now?"**__ asked T smugly. _

"_I never said that. You knowing some of my thoughts means nothing," said the green ranger tersely. "You're in my head – why wouldn't you know?"_

"_**It's like T said,"**__ interjected Tom. __**"You're lost. There's more happening than you're able to see, and since you can't figure it out on your own, we're here to help."**_

_Tommy cut his eyes. "Nothing's wrong with me besides the both of you continuously fucking with me."_

_The other two shared a meaningful glance that Tommy immediately noticed. "What?"_

_There was a pause and he watched Tom motion for T to be quiet._

"_**Limbo is a…**_**painful**_** place to be, Tommy. You're going to learn that soon enough,"**__ said Tom in a strange tone._

_The green ranger's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Stop talking about limbo and that other bullshit. All of this means nothing."_

"_**You know what? Just let him figure it out on his own…"**__T stretched his body. __**"…or not. I just hope he survives what's coming."**_

"Survives_?" Tommy frowned. "Enough with the goddamn riddles! I don't understand what you're talking about."_

"_**You're not meant to…not yet,"**__ said Tom evasively. __**"And anyway it doesn't matter. Our time here is over."**_

_Tommy noticed the two were beginning to fade, disappearing from their feet upward._

_They spoke in unison. __**"It's time to wake up."**_

_**

* * *

**_

_Please read and review. All feedback is appreciated!__**  
**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: **Here's the next chapter. I'll try to get the next part up as soon as I can. Swamped with work now that graduation is coming up in a few weeks, so bear with me. And if I haven't responded to your PM yet, I will soon. _

_**Beta's Note: **Yeah, I suck, too. Don't blame him – real life has cut into my editing this for him. Sorry!_

* * *

**Serpentera**

**Commander Oliver's Quarters**

**Between Kalderon and Aquitar**

**Local time, unknown**

Tommy lurched forward, eyes wild as he gasped desperately for breath.

'_Such a weird dream.'_

The teen threw the covers off his body, climbing to his feet and fumbling in the dark as he made his way to his bathroom. He hit the light switch, staring at himself in the mirror.

T's voice boomed in his head. _**'Rough night?'**_

Tommy turned on the cold water, cupping it in his hands before splashing his face repeatedly. The stinging cold jerked him into full consciousness, and he wiped at the dripping water.

'_**You do realize we're **_**in**_** your head, right? You can't throw water **__**at**__** us and expect us to drown,'**_ said Tom.

Tommy dried off his face with a hand towel. "It was worth a shot." A loud knock on his front door caught his attention. "Yes?"

"Master says Commander Oliver is to board the Sextans in one hour," came Anebris' voice.

"I'll be ready," he answered back before looking at himself again in the mirror. Stubble was starting to appear on his face.

'_I need to shave.'_

Tommy turned on the hot water, stripping off his uniform as he prepared to take a shower. Steam filled the small bathroom, making it nearly impossible to see. The teen scrubbed himself clean under the hot spray, eyes closed as he enjoyed the soothing feeling of the water on his skin.

Tommy's eyes snapped open at what sounded like soft giggling. The noise ended just as quickly as it started, however, and the teen shrugged, convinced he was hearing things.

Until it happened again.

He frowned. "Anebris, is that you?" Tommy called out. There was no response.

"Weird," he mumbled, returning to his shower.

The green ranger finished up, turning off the water before grabbing his towel and drying off. Another soft giggle was heard, louder now with the water off, and he looked around the bathroom questioningly.

He scowled. _'I swear to God, if it's either of you bastards playing with my head again – '_

T spoke up defensively. _**'We're not doing anything to you.'**_

The green ranger frowned, now genuinely confused. "Hello?" he tried again.

Again, he was met with no response, though now he was sure he could see a shadow moving through the steam.

"Who's there?" Giggling echoed again before the shadow disappeared. He furrowed his brow as he made his way out of the bathroom, searching his quarters for any signs of movement.

'_Could've sworn….'_ Tommy shook his head as he made his way to his room, pulling out some clothes from his suitcase before dropping his towel.

A soft voice whispered in his ears as he pulled up his boxer-briefs. _"Lookin' good…"_

Tommy froze, certain now that he wasn't imagining things. _'That sounded like__-__'_

"Commander!" Anebris called out, startling the teen. "Teleportation in ten minutes!"

Tommy nodded absently. "Almost ready!"

He yanked on his jeans before slipping on some socks and sneakers. He shivered when he felt a cool hand skim down his spine, and he jerked in alarm.

"What the f-" A gentle caress on his stomach came next, along with another soft chuckle.

"Okay, fuck this," he muttered, throwing on his black Ren & Stimpy t-shirt and picking up his duffel bag off the ground. Tommy rushed out of his bedroom, grabbing his camouflage jacket on the way out and shrugging it on.

'_You're just imagining things, Tommy. You probably need something to eat,' _he told to himself as he rushed to the teleportation bay.

The metal door slid open automatically when he neared it, and Tommy caught sight of Anebris behind the control panel. "Commander Oliver is ready?" he asked, ears turned outward.

The teen scanned his surroundings suspiciously before nodding. "Send me over."

Anebris pressed several buttons on the panel, and Tommy felt the familiar tingling sensation of teleportation overcome his body before seeing a white flash. He materialized later in the teleportation dock of the Sextans, coming face-to-face with Goldar.

"Glad to see you're no longer looking like a woman," Goldar commented on Tommy's haircut.

"Aw, Goldie, you're as cheerful as ever," said Tommy cheekily.

"Took you long enough," hissed the winged beast. "Let's go. Scorpina's waiting in the study."

Tommy scowled as he followed behind Goldar. It was weird seeing the creature dressed in normal clothes. He wore crisp crimson slacks and the black shirt he wore had cutouts for his wings to fit through. Tommy realized that Goldar was surprisingly slim and significantly less intimidating with his bulky armor off.

The hair on the back of the green ranger's neck stood up when the giggling from earlier rang out again. Goldar didn't seem to have a reaction to it, so Tommy decided to ignore it.

"I've arranged for you to meet with Andros two days from now down on KO-35. The details of when and where will be decided on tomorrow."

They turned a corner, heading down a brightly lit hallway. "So why am I here now?" asked the teen.

"Because you know nothing about Andros or KO-35. I _know_ you didn't read the briefing I left for you on Serpentera," said the older warrior. "Taking that into consideration, I requested your presence earlier."

Heat crept up Tommy's neck – he'd _definitely_ forgotten to read the file that was still sitting on his dresser back on the other ship. "Whatever," he mumbled.

Goldar let out a disapproving growl before opening a nearby door. "Take a seat."

The green ranger entered the cool room, immediately catching sight of a bored Scorpina at the far end of the table. Black eyes met brown briefly before looking away. Tommy swallowed nervously.

'_She couldn't have told __him;__ he would've killed me as soon as I landed on the ship.'_

A tan folder dropped in front of him. "This is the file I sent for you to read. It has everything you need to know about Andros."

Tommy opened the folder, looking over its contents curiously. He picked up a photo of a brown and blond teen around his age. "This is him? He's just a kid… can't be too much of a threat."

Goldar rolled his eyes. "Andros is seventeen, only a year younger than yourself, pup."

'_Good point.'_ Tommy sifted through the remaining documents. "Son of Stevros and Jenanthia… oldest of two children… recruited at age ten by Gali to train at the Eltarian Academy… graduated top of his class as a red ranger at age fourteen… stripped of his powers at age sixteen…" Tommy frowned. "What happened?"

"Breach of the Eltarian code," supplied Goldar. "He tried to kill someone in cold blood. His team didn't try to stop him, and the result was the termination of the Space team."

Tommy raised an eyebrow; rangers weren't supposed to murder, even he knew that. "Who'd he try to kill?"

"Me," Scorpina spoke up.

Now Tommy's curiosity was piqued. "Why'd he want to kill-"

"It doesn't matter," interrupted Goldar. "You're focused on the wrong thing. You see the information about his parents?"

Soft humming in Tommy's ear distracted him momentarily, and he forced himself to focus on Goldar.

The teen nodded and the beast continued. "Stevros and Jenanthia were the richest citizens of KO-35 and before their deaths, they ruled the planet. Andros has inherited all of their money and power, essentially providing him with limitless resources."

Tommy clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "So he's a spoiled rich boy? Great."

"You're missing the point," hissed Goldar. "Andros is the reason why this rebellion is even happening. To smuggle, funds are needed to move things around. I've seen the weapons the rebels are using – the amount of money they need to buy that type of artillery, even cheaply, requires muscle and money that only one person can afford."

The green ranger's eyes filled with understanding. "So why not just kill him?"

"_Always so quick to jump to murder,"_ whispered a sultry voice in his ear. The green ranger shivered involuntarily.

"Because that would be disastrous," said Scorpina. "We're trying to keep this situation contained. Killing Andros would be like killing their prince and would not only be fuel for a total rebellion but could also be the one thing the Eltarians are hoping we do."

Tommy frowned. "I thought there was no love lost between Andros and the Eltarian Empire."

He tensed when he felt gentle hands rub his arms affectionately.

"I'd agree, normally, but given that Eltar is helping with the rebellion, there must be some type of mutually beneficial relationship between them," said Goldar. "Gali would easily spin Andros' murder as grounds to officially intervene on behalf of KO-35, despite the fact that he could probably care less what happens to the rebel leader."

"And on top of that, killing Andros is damn near impossible," informed Scorpina. "He's a powerful telepath, and his telekinetic abilities are formidable."

"Telepath?" repeated Tommy. _'I thought that was just in comic books… shit, this dude's a real-life X-Man.'_ He looked back down at the photo of the rebel leader.

"_He's nowhere near as handsome as you,"_ a woman he couldn't see whispered in his ear before pressing a soft kiss to the back of his neck. The green ranger stretched his neck to rid himself of the sensation of the eerily familiar caress.

"Yes," affirmed Scorpina. "Andros is not to be trusted. He will use his telepathy to try and read your mind as soon as he senses you, so keep your thoughts clear. Telepathy is a skill few KOans have today, and those that do are the most powerful of their kind."

She rose to her feet, walking around the table slowly. "Andros' strength does not lie in his fighting, though he is an excellent warrior. His true strength is in strategy. Andros likes to play mental games, exploiting his enemy's weaknesses and using them to his advantage. Everything he says is calculated and used to manipulate. Do not let him get to you."

"Is that why he tried to kill you?" asked the teen suddenly. "Because you knew how he operated?"

An emotion Tommy couldn't identify flashed in her eyes briefly before hardening again. "Andros was… upset about the loss of KO-35 to the Dark Empire. He wasn't happy with the way things changed in his absence at the Eltarian Academy… so he decided to get revenge."

The teen shook his head. "But trying to kill you goes beyond simple revenge…"

Goldar growled from his chair. "Perhaps, but it doesn't matter now. What happened in the past is not the issue."

Tommy frowned, understanding that the topic was closed for discussion. "What does he know about me?"

Soft kisses peppered along his jawline. _'Stop it,'_ he ordered.

"Only what I've told him," said Goldar. "He knows your name, your rank… he knows that you're human."

"Why tell him that?" asked Tommy, body tensing as invisible hands slid down his chest. "There's a bounty on my head."

"There's a bounty on _all _of our heads," said Scorpina. "Andros isn't going to turn you in to the Eltarians – he doesn't care about that; his concern is KO-35. He only cares about who you are as much as it's related to the legitimacy of the negotiations."

Tommy nodded, somewhat reassured by this. "All right, anything else?"

"Don't let Andros get the upper hand at any time," said Scorpina. "If he gets even the slightest hint that you're yielding, it's over."

Tommy bit his lip. "Damn… not much room for fuck-ups."

"Precisely." Goldar handed him a scroll of paper. "These are the terms of the treaty that Lord Zedd wants to have with KO-35."

The teen opened the scroll, eyes scanning the contents quickly. "Is this the original agreement?"

"Yes," said the cat-like creature. "Granted, I doubt the boy will agree to it. He wants nothing to do with the Dark Empire, but Lord Zedd has made it clear that he wishes to avoid a war."

"So what do I do when he says no?" asked the green ranger. "Because he _will_ say no."

"Find a way to make him say yes." Goldar's red eyes were fixed on Tommy. "Unlike me, the emperor has faith in your abilities, so prove him right. Negotiate with Andros."

Tommy ignored Goldar's jibe, running his hands over his face. "Two days?" he asked weakly.

"_You can do it,"_ said the invisible woman encouragingly in his ear.

Goldar grinned, fangs clearly visible. "Scared?"

The green ranger scowled. "It'll get done, Goldie."

"Good." The winged warrior turned to Scorpina. "I'm needed in the northeast. Diabolico's troops have been overrun by the rebels and he needs my assistance. Finish up with the pup?"

Scorpina nodded, eyes following her husband as he headed out of the study. A tense silence filled the room at his departure, and all traces of the invisible woman were gone, much to Tommy's relief.

Tommy eyed Scorpina. "I suppose since I'm still alive I can guess that you haven't told your hubby about your suspicions."

She rolled her eyes. "Apparently not."

"Why?" asked the teen.

'_**Why the hell does it matter?'**_ asked Tom irritably. _**'Be grateful for once in your life.'**_

"You know, Oliver, if it bothers you so much, I can just wait until he gets back to tell him." She played with her nails. "I just didn't realize you were so determined to be murdered."

"You know that's not-"

'_**Let it go,'**_ hissed Tom.

"Miss your girlfriend?" she asked snidely, cutting him off. "Been awhile since you've seen her."

His nostrils flared. "She's not my girlfriend; she's nothing to me."

T snorted. _**'Lies.'**_

"Really?" asked Scorpina in disbelief. "Then tell me what's really going on. If she means nothing like you say, a little honesty shouldn't kill you."

T snickered. _**'It might.'**_

Tommy clenched his jaw tightly. _'Dammit… walked right into that one.'_

A loud beep sounded over the Sextans' intercom followed by Goldar's gravelly voice. "Scorpina, please report to the control room."

Her gaze stayed fixed on Tommy. "Well?"

He opened his mouth, only to close it after several seconds. "You should go."

"You sure about that?"

Tommy looked away, unable to hold her piercing gaze. "Yes."

Scorpina shook her head in disgust as she left the room, slamming the door behind her. His hands covered his face as he mentally berated himself.

"Fuck," he whispered harshly. "Fuck fuckfuck."

'_**Yeah that definitely falls under the Dumb-As-Fuck category,'**_ said T. _**'Just, you know, keep drawing attention to yourself… that works well if you're trying to be that word that means the exact **_**opposite**_** of inconspicuous…'**_

Tommy pressed his fingers to his temples. "I know…"

'_**Stop pressing her about Kimberly,'**_ said Tom. _**'She said she's not going to do anything, and so far she's honored that**__**. S**__**o leave it alone.'**_

"I know…"

Another soft giggle hit his ears, and Tommy growled angrily. "What the _fuck _is with that goddamn _giggling_?" he asked loudly.

All noise in the room stopped saved for his harsh breaths, and the green ranger could feel his annoyance increase from the lack of response.

"I need to get off this fucking ship," murmured the teen. "Get some fresh air."

And he knew just where to go.

* * *

**Karnanthyon Mall**

**Capital City**

**KO-35**

**Local time, Early evening**

Tommy ducked his head out of the alleyway, checking for anyone nearby before stepping out onto the sidewalk behind the large mall. It was cool down on KO-35, causing the teen to shiver, and he pulled his camouflage jacket closer to his body.

Aside from the color of the sky and ground, everything was very similar to Earth. There were trees, birds, people out and about living their lives…

'_**Well**__**,**__** that's one way it's different from Earth**__**:**__** people back home are **_**screaming**_** for their lives**__**,**__**' **_said T sarcastically.

Tommy rolled his eyes as he pulled his hood over his head. Hands tucked in his pocket, he headed down the street. The fresh air of KO-35 was a welcome change to the metallic walls of the Sextans and Serpentera.

He figured he was in the downtown area of the capital city; the buildings were getting older and increasingly shady the further he walked down the street. Two men stumbled out of a nearby building laughing hysterically as they clung to each other. The green ranger could hear the sounds of what sounded like rock music filtering out of the building before the door closed.

'_They look like they had a good time.'_ His eyes trailed up to the name of the place. _'Xander's Tavern.'_

Tommy slipped past the two men and entered the tavern, eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. The place appeared to be about half full, with nearly all of the tables taken. The green ranger pulled back his hood as he took in the sounds of conversation and the smell of alcohol and smoke that was strong in the air.

'_Can't get more human than that,'_ he thought as he made his way over to the bar and took a seat.

"What'll you have?"

Tommy glanced briefly at the portly man on the other side of the counter. The man stared at him with warm eyes. The teen was instantly reminded of Ernie and the Juice Bar back on Earth.

He snorted inwardly. _'I doubt Ernie would be anywhere like this.'_

Tommy scratched a finger along the worn wood. He really only needed water… but he decided he might as well enjoy himself while out. "Shot of _Daem_."

The older man's eyes widened. "_Daem_? You sure you want that, fella?"

Tommy gritted his teeth in annoyance. "It's what I asked for, isn't it?" he forced out in a casual tone.

The guy chuckled heartily. "No disrespect, man, though you do look a bit young for _Daem_." The man eyed him. "I only asked because it's expensive."

The green ranger shoved a hand into the pocket of his jacket before tossing several coins onto the counter. Zedd had given him a pouch of KOan money, but he had no idea how currency worked on the planet.

"How many will that get me, um…?" Tommy trailed off, not knowing the man's name.

"Xander," the man supplied before counting the money. "Four shots."

Tommy nodded. "Good, I'll take it."

Xander hesitated before turning around to grab four small glasses off the counter. Tommy's gaze fell back to the wooden counter before him.

"_Hey there,"_ a sultry voice said from his left. The teen tensed when he felt a soft hand wrap around his forearm.

He rolled his eyes impatiently before turning. "Look, I don't-"

The woman grinned. _"Miss me?"_

Tommy blinked hard twice, only to find her still there. "K-Kim?" He looked around the small bar quickly. "When did you… _how _did you…"

Kim laughed, eyes twinkling in the dark. _"How I got here isn't too important, is it?"_ She reached up, trailing a finger along his scar and forcing him to take a shuddering breath from the pleasure of her touch. _"I'm here now."_

"Here you go," said Xander as he placed the four shots in front of Tommy.

"Thanks," mumbled the teen lowly, gaze never leaving Kim's face.

'_This doesn't make sense,'_ he thought to himself before grabbing one of the shots and downing it quickly, wincing slightly from the initial burn in his stomach.

'_She's not real,'_ he reasoned. _'She can't be.'_ He looked down to see her perfectly flat stomach. _'Kim wouldn't be anywhere near a bar while pregnant…'_

T gave a relieved sigh. _**'Thank God for small miracles. I thought she had you going there for a minute.'**_

"_I hope you aren't going to just sit there and ignore me,"_ she said with a flirtatious smirk.

The green ranger fixed his gaze on the now empty shot glass. "You're not real." He tapped a finger to the side of his head. "I know this is all in my head… just like everything else. That was you giggling earlier today, wasn't it?" Tommy shook his head. "I knew that voice sounded familiar…"

"_Well don't sound so upset about it,"_ she mumbled, hand finding its way to his short hair. His eyes closed involuntarily at her touch, and he could feel his body tense when she moved closer to him. _"I like the haircut,"_ she breathed into his ear. _"Though I'm gonna miss having something to grab onto when we…"_

She trailed off, lips and tongue brushing gently against his earlobe. He felt an uncomfortable tightness in his jeans.

"Stop," he whispered. "_You're not real_."

It was torture having her touch him, even if it was all in his head… especially since the real Kim treated him like he was garbage, while this one seemed ready to ravish him.

Kim chuckled softly, hand trailing down his side to rest on his strong thigh. Her fingernails grazed his crotch and he groaned. _"Someone sure seems to _want_ me to be real."_

Her hand moved to his abdomen before sliding down underneath the waistband of his jeans. Tommy gasped softly when he felt her nails graze his length through his boxers, and she laughed heartily at his reaction.

"_Stop_!" he shouted, drawing the attention of those in the immediate vicinity. He looked to his left and was both relieved and frustrated to see that Kimberly was gone.

'_**You need to get it together, Oliver,' **_said Tom. _**'You're letting her fuck with your head.'**_

Tommy growled lowly before grabbing another shot and drinking it. He glared at Xander when he felt the man gazing at him.

"_What_?" barked Tommy angrily.

Xander jumped slightly before turning back around, hastily moving to help another customer at the far end of the bar.

The teen rolled his eyes. "Nosey bastard," he muttered before downing another drink. He closed his eyes, body warm from the _Daem_ pumping through his system.

Tommy turned in his seat, back facing the bar so he could look out at the people sitting at the tables. He scanned the crowd lazily, pausing when he connected with a set of bright green eyes. They belonged to a busty redhead sitting in a far corner of the bar. She tossed an enticing look his way, and Tommy couldn't help the roguish grin that made its way across his handsome features. The woman trailed a hand down her chest and licked her lips slowly, letting the green ranger know exactly what she was after.

'_Now this, I can deal with,'_ he thought happily. _'Not necessarily the hottest woman I've seen or been with, but she's definitely interested.'_

'_**I say go for it,' **_said Tom. _**'You need a distraction from the pink ranger… and there's a willing one.'**_

Tommy grabbed his last shot from the counter and gulped it down before taking a deep breath and leaving the bar. The redhead's eyes widened briefly and she ran her fingers through her hair when she saw him head straight for her table.

He paused midstride when he saw her stand abruptly, shoving her chair beneath the table. He cast a confused glance in her direction, now unsure if understood her earlier. The redhead made her way to the exit, pausing to turn back and send Tommy a wink as she opened the door. She gave an imperceptible tilt of her head to the right, and the green ranger watched as she coolly headed in that direction.

She wanted to meet him outside.

Tommy couldn't hide the smug look on his face as he made his way out of the bar. He saw a flash of red hair go around the corner to his right, and looking around quickly, he made his way over to what appeared to be a narrow alley.

Leaning up against the dirty brick wall was the woman from the bar. Up close, Tommy realized that she actually looked quite plain. She wasn't hideous nor was she beautiful; she just _was_. Her eyes that seemed so bright and alluring before were normal in the shadows, and her vibrant hair wasn't as attractive as it once seemed. She was tall for a woman, reaching his nose without heels on.

He couldn't help but wonder what she would like if her face were more heart-shaped, her eyes doe brown, her hair chestnut, and if she only reached the middle of his chest-

'_She's not Kimberly, Tommy. That's the point,'_ he reminded himself. _'Plus, you haven't gotten any in weeks. Now's really not the time to be picky.'_

"Hi," she said softly, and he internally winced at how high her pitch was.

"Hey."

She grinned, and it struck him just how… _imperfect_ her smile was.

"Sorry, I don't… _usually_ do this sort of thing, but I just…" She put her hand out while giving a nervous chuckle. "My name is Drakana."

Tommy's eyes trailed from her offered hand to her face, and he stepped closer to her.

Her brow furrowed. "Aren't you going to give me your name?"

He cupped her face in his rough hands. "No."

Tommy moved quickly, pressing his lips against hers hard. She gave a startled moan at the contact before her hands found the inside of his jacket, gripping his shirt tightly. Her lips didn't feel that soft, and the kiss was very messy, but it was good enough. He grunted when he felt her nails dig into his back, and her cold lips moved from his lips to his jaw and down his neck. Tommy closed his eyes, forcing himself to focus on the sensation of her touch and not how overpowering her perfume was.

His hands made their way to her hips before trailing lower, allowing him to lift her against the wall with a startled squeal. She pulled back from him, laughing wildly before kissing him hard again, sucking his tongue into her mouth. Even though she was doing everything he liked, the kiss felt foreign to him, like a creature was invading his mouth, and he wanted to spit it out.

Her hands moved to his torso up to his shoulders, and he could feel her shoving his jacket off his arms.

"Your body is more defined than I realized," she commented before her lips found his neck again.

Tommy gave a loud chuckle, eyes closing as he felt the familiar yet distant stirrings of arousal _finally_ coming to him.

'_About time.'_

Tommy could hear soft giggling in his ear, and he blinked in confusion when he couldn't identify the source. The sound went away after a few seconds, only to be replaced with incredibly loud moaning. Tommy's left hand had made its way into Drakana's panties, and although she was giving off breathy moans every now and then, he knew the sound wasn't coming from her.

Tommy's head rested on Drakana's shoulder as she ground herself against his fingers. Her right hand was wrapped around his cock in an attempt to excite him.

"Oh my _god_…"

That _definitely_ wasn't her.

Blinking rapidly, Tommy turned to his right, only to see another couple pressed up against each other in the same filthy alley. _'Is this a regular spot or something?'_ he wondered briefly, eyes closing when her hand squeezed him a bit too tightly._ 'Where did they even come from?'_

The couple next to them seemed to be enjoying themselves a hell of a lot more than him and Drakana. The guy's head was buried into the woman's shoulder as he thrust vigorously inside of her, and she let out a small shriek into his shoulder after each thrust.

"Oh, Jason…"

Tommy froze at those words, brown eyes unmoving as he watched the couple with a mixture of horror and mounting anger. _'Don't say… don't say it…'_

"Yes… _god_, Kim…"

At that moment, the woman threw her head back in delight, and Tommy could clearly see Kimberly's face in the throes of passion as Jason took her against the wall. He recognized that expression very well, having been responsible for putting it on her face on numerous occasions.

The small sparks of arousal he felt earlier died quickly at the sight, and he could hear Drakana let out a frustrated groan at him still being flaccid.

Tommy knew his mind was playing tricks on him, that Kim and Jason were back on Earth not speaking to each other, but that didn't make what he was seeing any easier to watch.

Kimberly turned to look at him suddenly, brown eyes clouded with lust and arousal… and something else. She grinned at him as her fingers tightened in Jason's hair; their coupling was growing more frantic. _"You're not the only one who can have fun,"_ she whispered breathlessly to Tommy before her eyes rolled into the back of her head, face contorting in pure bliss.

Tommy's eyes flashed green in anger as he shoved away from Drakana, causing her to fall unceremoniously to the ground. He looked away from her, tucking himself back in his pants before shrugging his jacket back on.

"What the hell was that?" she demanded angrily.

Tommy's jaw clenched painfully and he couldn't help glancing at the spot where he had seen Kim and Jason only moments before.

"Go," he whispered hoarsely.

Drakana's jaw dropped in shock, and she climbed to her feet. "Are you _serious_?"

"Do I look like I'm fucking kidding?" he hissed. "Get the hell away from me."

Her nostrils flared briefly. "You have some nerve. Get a girl all riled up and then blow up at me just because _you _can't get it up."

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Leave… _now_."

The deathly tone with which he spoke seemed to get through to her, for her anger gave way to fear and she quickly left him alone in the alley. Tommy waited until she was several feet away before closing his eyes and exhaling slowly.

Soft breathing reached his ears, and he opened his eyes to see Kimberly standing in front of him, a grin on her beautiful face. He stumbled backwards in surprise, back slamming into the wall as he stared at her. She leaned in close to him until he could feel the heat from her body and her breath on his lips.

"Kim, I-"

And just like that, she disappeared.

Tommy swallowed thickly, before passing a hand through his short hair and sliding down to the ground.

He was losing it.

Kimberly's soft laughter filed the small alley, and he futilely pressed his hands over his ears to block her out. But the harder he tried, the louder the noise grew; until her laughter was the only sound he could hear in his head.

"_Enough_!" he yelled, dropping his hands from his ears to rest at his sides.

The alley was filled with a deafening silence.

Tommy rested his head against the wall, body buzzing from the _Daem_ and anger and almost-wall-sex he experienced.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked softly into the shadows.

* * *

**Sacred Archives of KO-35**

**KO-35**

**Two days later**

**Local time, Late afternoon**

"Remember, do not trust anything that Andros tells you," hissed Goldar. "He will say anything to have KO-35 back under his control."

Tommy made a face before passing a hand over the stubble on his chin. "Then why even have these negotiations if we already know he's not going to listen?"

Goldar sighed heavily as they turned a corner. "I already told you… we are trying to avoid genocide on this planet, though that seems to be unlikely with how everything is going. Andros, however unreasonable he may be, will only consider negotiating if he is speaking with a human."

The beast threw the teen an annoyed look. "He seems to hold more trust in your kind."

The green ranger grinned. "And I know that must _kill_ you inside, Goldie."

The winged warrior growled in response before abruptly turning to the left.

"Where are we going anyway?" asked Tommy curiously. "I thought the headquarters of the rebel forces was unknown."

"It is. You're meeting at a safe location: the main study of the Sacred Archives of KO-35."

The two stopped in front of large wooden doors. "Why here?"

Goldar knocked hard on the doors in a strange rhythm. "It belonged to Andros' father."

The teen nodded absently as they waited, and he could hear heavy footsteps on the other side of the door before it opened slowly. A tall man with blond hair appeared before them in what looked like a silver spacesuit. He eyed Tommy and Goldar warily.

"Goldar," he said tersely, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Zhane," said Goldar with equal attitude. "Commander Oliver is here to see Andros."

Zhane's gaze shifted to Tommy, and the green ranger could feel the taller teen judging him. He straightened his body, rising to his full height.

Zhane raised an eyebrow before nodding. "Right this way."

Tommy followed behind Zhane through the double doors, passing several dusty bookshelves. Large cobwebs ran along the walls, and several chairs and tables were covered with large white sheets.

The green ranger shook his head in wonder. _'They weren't kidding when they said his family was loaded… this big__-__ass room is supposed to be a study?'_

A soft light in the corner of the room caught his eye as he realized they were headed in that direction. Zhane stopped behind a large plush chair. In front of the chair was a pitcher of water and two glasses.

"Andros… he's here."

There was soft rustling in the chair before a man stood up, turning slowly to face Zhane and Tommy. He had blond and brown striped hair that hung past his shoulders. Tommy couldn't help but notice the teen looked much younger in person than he did in the photos on the Sextan's computer.

"Thank you, Zhane. I'll take it from here."

Zhane nodded briefly before leaving, shooting Tommy a disgusted look on his way out.

"Forgive my friend," said Andros with a smile. "Zhane's not particularly fond of those who turn against their own people, especially for Zedd." He pointed to a nearby chair. "Would you like to sit?"

Tommy's eyes narrowed at the dig as he took a seat across from the younger man, staring at him intently.

'_**Keep it cool, man,' **_T said encouragingly.

"Something on your mind?" Andros asked as he poured himself a glass of water.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "It's just hard to believe you're seventeen. You look like you're thirteen."

Andros grinned widely. "So Zedd _does_ allow his lackeys to have a sense of humor… imagine that."

The green ranger scowled. "I didn't come here to trade insults with you," he hissed.

All signs of mirth left the younger teen's face. "I know precisely why you're here, Commander. You're here to negotiate some type of treaty with the rebels, correct?"

Tommy nodded. "Yes, though I was informed that you would be reluctant to make a deal."

Andros rolled his eyes. "Been speaking with Goldar, have you? Just because I didn't agree to his proposal doesn't mean I'm not willing to make a deal."

The green ranger sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "What deal would you be willing to make?"

"It's simple," said Andros as he brought his drink to his lips. "Zedd and his minions leave my planet alone and we stop blowing up your soldiers."

Tommy laughed. "You can't be serious. You want us to leave KO-35 so that you can run and ally yourself with the Eltarians? Join their empire instead? We already know they've been smuggling weapons to the rebels here."

Andros glared. "KO-35 does not belong to the Dark Empire or the Eltarians. We want back what your _emperor_ took from us. My people deserve to be free. To have control. Sovereignty."

Tommy scoffed in annoyance. "Cut the crap, Andros."

"Excuse me?"

"You don't want any of this for your people. You're doing this for you."

The younger teen rolled his eyes. "You're delusional."

"And you're transparent," said Tommy snidely. "When KO-35 was independent, the people in power were those with the most money. Your father was the richest and most powerful man on the planet before his death, correct? Don't tell me you don't miss the perks of daddy being in control."

Andros stared at Tommy for several seconds before chuckling lowly to himself. "You're a piece of work, Oliver… and smarter than you look. You think you know what kind of man I am?"

Tommy shrugged. "Am I wrong?"

"Unbelievably so," said the long-haired teen. "I believe you have me confused with you. I would never act out of my own interest; my planet and people mean more to me than that… but I guess that's something you wouldn't understand."

Tommy clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, forcing himself not to rise to the bait. "Autonomy over KO-35, along with a pardon for all involved in the revolt. That's the offer."

"And in return?" asked the rebel leader.

"Five thousand soldiers to serve the Dark Empire, an end to all ties with Eltar, and you must answer to Lord Zedd as the political head of KO-35."

"You mean _figurehead_," corrected Andros with a smirk. "So in exchange for giving Zedd everything, we get the illusion of control? His greed knows no bounds."

"And I thought sparing the lives of your people would mean more to you than how much control you had, Andros," said Tommy mockingly.

"It didn't to you." The green ranger tensed at those words. "How _is_ the invasion of Earth going? Killed any friends or family lately? Did you even have the decency to warn them or did you want to have the element of surprise when they realized they died by your hand?"

The green ranger clenched his teeth in annoyance. _'Don't kill him__. R__emember what Goldar and Scorpina said… don't kill him…'_

"I'll let Lord Zedd know that you find the terms of the agreement unsatisfactory. Perhaps something can be worked out."

Andros gave a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "He won't change his mind, Commander. You know this."

"Lord Zedd will honor whatever agreement makes both parties happy," said Tommy.

The long-haired teen stared intently at Tommy until the older boy grew visibly uncomfortable. A strange buzzing sensation came over his body, and it became difficult to think. His eyelids felt heavy and his vision began to blur.

'_**He's reading your mind,'**_ warned T.

"Stop it," snarled Tommy angrily, eyes flashing green. Andros looked at him in surprise.

"You could feel that?"

Tommy threw an incredulous look. "Of course I could feel that, asshole. You weren't particularly discreet about it." The older teen rose quickly to his feet. "This meeting is over," he hissed before heading for the exit, eager to get out of the room.

"Tell me something, Commander," Andros called out, and Tommy turned with an irritated sigh to see the rebel leader's back facing him.

"When Zedd gave you the power to become his green ranger, what did he take from you?"

Tommy narrowed his eyes. "What?"

Andros turned to face him. "Zedd gives nothing so great without taking something just as valuable in return. What did you give him?"

The green ranger shook his head slowly. "I – why are you asking me that?"

"You are in control of your own mind, which is rare for someone so young and powerful working for Zedd." Tommy noticed the faraway look on Andros' face, and for a few seconds, the rebel leader looked pained.

"How would you know anything about what it's like for someone in my position?"

The rebel leader scowled. "I know more than you think."

"Meaning?"

The scowl on the younger man's face melted away and Andros blinked slowly before turning away from the green ranger. "We will resume negotiations at a later date, Commander. I think, like you said before, this meeting is over."

The green ranger shook his head. "I asked you a-"

"You called, Andros?" Tommy jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of Zhane a few feet behind him.

"Escort Commander Oliver back to the entryway. Our meeting has finished."

Zhane grabbed Tommy's arm roughly, and the green ranger angrily shoved him off. "I _suggest_ you keep your hands away from me if you want to keep them," he growled. Zhane eyed him defiantly before stepping aside.

"After you."

Tommy's nostrils flared in anger before he turned to address Andros one last time, only to find that the teen was now gone.

'_Where -'_

A nudge in his side from Zhane caused him to roll his eyes. "I said I'm coming. You need to relax."

Zhane said nothing as he led Tommy out of the room. The green ranger spared one last glance around the study to see if he could find Andros but to no avail.

It would have to wait until next time.

* * *

**Sacred Archives of KO-35**

**KO-35**

**Four days later**

**Local time, Late morning**

Tommy watched hopefully as Andros scanned the scroll with guarded eyes.

"No."

The green ranger's head tilted back as he let out a strangled noise. "What's wrong with it _now_?"

Andros glared at him. "The same thing that was wrong with the last ten you showed me: we're still under Zedd's control."

Tommy ran a tired hand over his forehead. They were going on their third hour of negotiations that day with no progress. Andros seemed determined to disagree with the slightest detail and it was beginning to grate Tommy's nerves. He was already in a shitty mood from not having a proper night's sleep due to imaginary voices and those _goddamn_ dreams…Andros' stubbornness certainly wasn't helping matters.

"I already explained to you that the whole point of this is for KO-35 to remain a part of the Dark Empire. We're not going to reach an agreement if you keep arguing that point," explained Tommy with limited patience.

"KO-35 won't be in anyone's empire," said Andros crossly.

Tommy's eyes flashed green. "Then _why_ are we having this conversation? You already know you don't want to sign the agreement, and you're wasting my time!" he shouted.

Andros blinked before sitting back in his chair, amusement dancing in his hazel eyes. He reached for a glass on the small table in front of them and poured himself some water. Tommy glared at him heatedly when he began to chuckle.

"Just what the hell's so funny?"

"So easy to rile up, Commander." Andros glanced at him. "You're impulsive, rude… incredibly obnoxious… and yet Zedd chose you to lead one of the largest invasions in history. You must be something special."

Tommy stared at him in confusion. "He- I… _what_?" To say Andros threw him for a loop with the abrupt change in topic was a grand understatement.

"Enlighten me, how _did_ you become Zedd's green ranger?"

Tommy eyed him. "Why don't you just read my mind? You don't seem to have any problems invading other people's privacy."

Andros chuckled. "Under normal circumstances, I would know everything I need to know about you the minute you walked through my door… but your mind is inaccessible, I'm afraid. I can skim the edges, but anything deeper than that and I get pushed out."

He stared hard at Tommy before adding, "Zedd really did a number on you."

"Why are you so convinced that he did something to me?" questioned Tommy.

The rebel leader looked away from him. "You're too alert, too… _aware_ to be completely under his control, and yet you have such a high rank in his empire. That is strange, especially since you're human."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

'_**Don't listen to him,' **_Tom cautioned.

"Humans are too emotional and unpredictable to be trusted in Zedd's empire. His soldiers come from colonies where children are bred for war. You've seen Goldar – five straight generations of unfeeling killing machines; that's what Zedd likes." Andros peered at him. "Hasn't it struck you as odd that there are virtually no humans in positions of power in the Dark Empire besides yourself?"

Tommy nodded without thinking. He had noticed from the very beginning that he was the only one of his kind as a ranking official. From the jeers of the other officers, Tommy knew humans were considered to be on the lower end of the species spectrum.

'_**He's playing you, Tommy, trying to get you to doubt your emperor,' **_warned Tom. _**'You know why you were chosen.'**_

The green ranger nodded in agreement with Tom. "Lord Zedd recognizes the potential in people. He had me trained – "

Andros snorted. "He had you _neutered_. I can sense it... something is _missing_ from you." He paused. "I-It's the same feeling I get from -"

Andros paused, eyes unfocused as he got up from his chair, slowly walking away while deep in his thoughts.

Tommy's eyes narrowed in confusion. "The same feeling you get from who?"

No response. "Andros!"

The rebel leader blinked rapidly before turning to look at the green ranger. "Sorry?"

"What were you going to say? The same feeling you get from _who_?" pressed the older teen.

'_**Don't push it,'**_ said Tom harshly. _**'He's messing with you.'**_

"No, I wanna know. This is the second time he's done this," growled Tommy, hands pressed against the sides of his head.

'_**And you're falling for his trap, just like he planned. Don't give him what he wants,'**_ urged Tom.

"_Who_ are you tal-" began Andros before Tommy cut him off.

"Shut up!" Tommy rose to his feet, eyes flashing green. He raced towards Andros, grabbing the surprised teen by his shirt and slamming him into a nearby wall.

"Talk… _now_."

Andros looked at Tommy coolly, and the green ranger felt a buzzing sensation in his veins. His eyes drooped slightly, and he could feel a persistent nudging in his head. Tommy growled angrily, roughly shoving Andros into the wall again so that the he groaned in pain.

"I don't appreciate people fucking with my head, Andros."

Despite his current position, the rebel leader grinned. "And you would know _all_ about that, wouldn't you, Commander?"

The green ranger snarled. "You piece of shit, I swear to –"

"Did you know I have a sister?" the long-haired teen interrupted.

A bemused expression crossed Tommy's face and he released Andros in surprise. "_What?_"

"Twin sister, actually. Her name is Karone."

The green ranger blinked slowly. "Why are you telling me th-"

"We used to be very close, when we were younger. Inseparable, actually... before she went insane and was taken to the ward."

"That's moving, _really_," said Tommy bitingly, "but I don't give a _shit_ about your sister."

"You should," said Andros tersely. "You're well on your way to being just like her."

Tommy raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to respond to that.

"I'm sure you've heard of Astronema… the self-proclaimed Princess of Evil," said Andros with a frown.

Tommy shrugged, not seeing any relevance. "She helped Scorpina secure KO-35 for the Dark Empire before she was killed in battle."

The rebel leader's eyes hardened. "She didn't die."

The green ranger raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"Astronema didn't die… not physically, anyway. She's here, on KO-35… at the psychiatric ward."

Tommy looked at Andros in alarm, understanding for the first time what the younger man was telling him. "_Astronema_ was your _sister_? Karen?"

"Karone," corrected Andros shortly, and Tommy was happy to hear a trace of mild irritation in his voice. "But yes, for a time, she was Astronema." He stared off into the distance. "Astronema was pure evil… she had my sister's face but none of her kindness. Before I left for training, she told me she was going to find a way to save our planet. I didn't think she'd make a deal with Zedd."

Andros swallowed thickly. "He did something… _changed _her, like I'm sure he did with you." He turned to Tommy with a pained expression. "It drove her insane."

Tommy shook his head slowly, now realizing what Andros was doing. "And you expect me to believe that the same will happen to me?" He laughed. "That I'll end up nutty like your sister? That's if you even _have_ a sister…"

"I'm trying to _help_ you," argued Andros.

"You're trying to _manipulate_ me. Goldar was right… you're good, but not good enough to get me to turn against Lord Zedd."

Andros shook his head with a laugh. "And here I thought you were smarter than you looked."

"Smart enough to know when I'm getting worked," retorted the green ranger.

"Tell me something, Oliver, do the voices in your head stay there or have they slipped into your nightmares as well?"

Tommy tensed at his words, heart pounding loudly in his ears. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said slowly.

The rebel leader smirked. "Of course you don't. Silly me." Andros turned, heading back to his chair. "Tell Zedd the negotiations are done. If he wants KO-35, he'll have to fight us for it. This meeting is over."

Tommy could feel anger pumping through his body. He had been dismissed, and there was nothing he could do about it. Moodily, he packed up his things before heading to the exit.

"When you're ready to confront what's really going on with you, come find me. We can talk then," said Andros before sliding a piece of paper into Tommy's hand.

"What's this?"

"Karone is at this address, if you want to talk to her."

Tommy studied the paper carefully. "I don't want to talk to her."

"So then having her address shouldn't tempt you to peek." Andros turned away. "I expect I'll see you again, Commander."

The green ranger was already halfway across the room when he heard Andros' words, and Tommy snorted.

"Don't count on it."

* * *

_Please read and review. All feedback is appreciated!_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note:** Long time since my last update, but here's the next chapter and it's long. I've been super busy getting everything done this last semester, but it has finally paid off because I HAVE OFFICIALLY GRADUATED FROM COLLEGE AS OF YESTERDAY! Cleaning my dorm and stuff this weekend, but I'll be officially back into the groove of things come Monday and will focus on finishing the _Cost of Revenge_ series this summer. Thank you so much for your patience and sticking with this fic; I know it's been frustrating with the sporadic updates but now that I have time, it should all be good._

_As always, reviews and feedback are appreciated. Let me know what you think of this chapter. Many of the questions I've received in PMs should be answered after reading. :)_

* * *

**The Lunar Palace**

**Holding Cells**

**The Moon**

**Local time, unknown**

_Tommy looked up when he heard the clink of metal on metal. Goldar appeared outside his cell. The teen rushed to him, hands gripping the bars tightly. "You have what you wanted! Now let me go."_

_Goldar shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that, boy."_

_Tommy's left eye narrowed in anger; the right side of his face was covered with a white bandage._

"_You son of a bitch! I should've known you'd double-cross me," he hissed._

_The gold plated warrior snorted. "No one double-crossed you, pup… no one but your so-called friend."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_He didn't do it." _

_The long-haired teen's left eye widened in shock, and he let go of the bars, pacing the small space in his cell. "You're lying," he said lowly. Tommy pointed at Goldar. "All of you are fucking liars, especially you, monkey man. I _know_ he did it. He wouldn't leave me here. Let me out."_

"_Your faith in your friend is misplaced, I'm afraid. You won't be leaving here anytime soon."_

_The door behind Goldar burst open suddenly, and Tommy winced from the bright light hitting his sensitive eye. In the doorway stood a tall form, but Tommy could only see the person's shape._

"_What are you doing here?" snarled Goldar._

_The person stepped forward out of the shadows, and Tommy smiled with relief when he saw the red glint from the helmet they wore._

"_I'm not leaving without him."_

_Jason._

_Tommy let out a choked laugh, heart swelling with happiness at the sight of his friend. _'I knew Goldar was lying…'

_Goldar glowered. "He's not going anywhere, red ranger. Did you think we wouldn't figure out the coin was a fake?"_

_Jason shrugged. "No… I just hoped you'd be too stupid to figure it out so soon."_

_Goldar growled before unsheathing his sword, swinging fiercely at the red ranger. Tommy watched in fear as the two fought in the small room. His hands gripped the bars of his cell tightly when Goldar nearly stabbed Jason in the stomach, but the teen jumped back at the last second, launching into a tornado kick. His foot connected with the side of Goldar's head, sending the beast flying into the nearby wall where he fell in a crumpled heap._

_Jason ran over to him quickly, searching Goldar's body for the keys to the cell._

"_The keys are tucked under his hip guard… next to the sheath," said Tommy._

_Jason reached beneath the gold armor and grabbed the key ring, then handed them to Tommy. Tommy grabbed them quickly, dropping to the ground in order to unlock the shackles around his ankles._

"_Jason, we need to wrap this up. I think they're getting suspicious," Trini's voice came over Jason's communicator._

"_No worries, Tri," replied the red ranger._

_There was some static before another voice came over the link. "Did you find him?" Tommy paused when he recognized Kim's voice, surprised at how hopeful she sounded._

"_Yeah. I'm with him now."_

_The audible sigh across the line put a smile on Tommy's face. _'She was worried about me.'

"_Let's go, man. We don't have much time," Jason stressed._

_Tommy nodded, standing up and kicking the shackles off into a corner. He reached through the bars, unlocking his door. Tommy joined Jason on the other side, and the two headed out of the holding area. Jason motioned for Tommy to stay behind him._

"_Thanks for the rescue, Jase. I didn't know how much longer I could last," confessed Tommy quietly._

_Jason turned to his friend, hand on his shoulder. "No need to thank me, bro. I wish I had gotten to you earlier."_

_Tommy self-consciously raised a hand to his face where he'd been cut. _

_Jason cleared his throat. "Anyway, I know you would've done the same for me."_

_Tommy shrugged. "True… except I'm no power ranger. Which reminds me…"_

_He slammed his fist into Jason's shoulder, and the red ranger grunted at the blow._

"_What the hell was _that_ for?" Jason hissed as he rubbed his arm._

"_Bro, how could you not tell me you were a _power ranger_?" Tommy asked in a loud whisper. "This whole time I'm thinking all of you are just a bunch of boring, average teenagers…"_

_He heard Jason snort behind his helmet. "Boring? Whatever, man. And look… it's not like we can really just go around advertising who we are to everyone. I wanted to tell you, but it's not exactly safe for people to know our identities… plus there's the whole oath to Zordon that –"_

"_What the fuck is a Zordon?" interrupted Tommy._

_Jason shook his head. "Not what…who. The bad guys have Rita Repulsa… Zordon's our Rita, except way smarter, less annoying and he doesn't really have a body."_

_There was a pause. "Your leader doesn't have a body?"_

"_Large floating head trapped in a time warp… you'll meet him when we get outta here."_

_Tommy nodded, not really understanding everything the red ranger was saying. The two continued walking around the Lunar Palace._

"_You really had no idea we were the power rangers?" Jason asked after some time._

"_Not a clue."_

_Jason chuckled. "You were never suspicious about our watches that didn't tell time? Or the fact that we always left at the same time right before a fight and reappeared after it was over?"_

_Tommy bit his lip. "I guess I just never noticed."_

"_At least tell me you thought it was strange we wore pretty much the same color every day?"_

"That_ I did notice," said Tommy. "But I don't know… I only knew you guys for a year. I figured maybe it was just an inside joke or something."_

"_But every single day? That didn't at least pique your curiosity?" pressed Jason._

_The long-haired teen raised an eyebrow. "Did you just use _pique_ in a sentence?"_

"_Shut up," said Jason, and Tommy got the distinct feeling the teen was rolling his eyes behind his visor. "I guess it _is_ sort of like an inside joke on our part. Everyone's trying to find out who we are, and we give them all these clues that are staring them right in the face."_

"_But I guess now you'll be in on the joke, too," Jason said as he made a left turn, leading them down some stairs._

"_I'd have to be a ranger for that to actually work, Jase," reminded Tommy._

_Jason opened his hand, revealing the small gold coin to Tommy. The coin contrasted starkly with the white of Jason's glove._

"_This can't stay in the hands of evil… and I can't think of anyone else suited for the job," said the red ranger softly._

_Tommy's left eye widened considerably. "You really think…?"_

_Jason shrugged. "Worth a shot, don't you think? We can't have too many fighting for our side, and I'd rather you be at my side than anyone else."_

_Tommy's heart beat rapidly in his chest, warmth filling him from Jason's words. "I don't… I don't know what to say…"_

"_Nothing mushy, please," teased the red ranger. "We have to run it by Zordon first, but I think it could work."_

_Tommy's mouth felt dry. _'I can be a power ranger? Holy shit…'

_Jason closed his hand around the coin. "We need to get moving; we can talk about this later."_

_Tommy nodded mutely, limbs numb from shock. He followed behind Jason quietly, considering the possibilities if he became a power ranger. "The only shitty part is that I couldn't tell anyone I'm a power ranger," said Tommy after a while. "Do you know how much ass I can get as the green ranger?"_

_The red ranger scoffed. "_That's_ what's important to you? Not fighting for the fate of the universe or being Earth's first line of defense… you're thinking about all the action you'll be missing out on?"_

_The taller teen sighed. "The other stuff is _clearly_ more important… it was just an observation."_

"_Of course," said Jason with mild sarcasm._

"_Besides, it's not like I need the status of a power ranger to get some… you know I'm fine without it," said Tommy smugly._

"_You sure are," said Jason distractedly. "Zack's gonna flip when he finds out what you did with Angela. You know he's been after her for years, bro."_

_Tommy raised his hands defensively. "How was I supposed to know it was the same Angela?"_

"_There's only one Angela at school who's black… you _knew_ who she was," said the shorter teen sternly._

"_Maybe," admitted Tommy softly. "Whatever, it doesn't matter right now. I just need to get outta here."_

"_A lot of people have been missing you, especially your mom and K– and our friends."_

_Tommy knew all too well the pain his mother was in from being forced to watch through Rita's telescope. He caught Jason's slip up when talking about their friends, and he wondered if the red ranger meant to say something else. _'Kim?'

"_Nice to know I was missed."_

_The two were walking down an empty corridor, and Tommy could see a wide opening further down which he presumed was the exit._

'So close to freedom.'

"_Yeah… not having you around did something to all of us," said Jason softly. "Put a lot of things in perspective."_

'What is he blabbing about?'

_Jason stopped walking suddenly, forcing Tommy to come to a stop behind him. He could see the muscles of Jason's back tense underneath the spandex._

"_Jase, what's –"_

_Tommy jumped back when metal bars shot up from the ground in front of him, separating him from Jason. Metal keys appeared next to Jason's feet, and Tommy gripped the bars tightly._

"_Jase, I think this might be another one of Rita's tricks… maybe Goldar woke up. Open this up with the keys so we can get outta here," said Tommy._

_Jason turned around to look at Tommy, and the captive teen looked on in confusion when Jason picked up the keys, holding them tightly in his hands._

"_What are you doing?"_

_A red glow built up in Jason's gloved hand, and Tommy watched on in horror as the keys began to disintegrate before his eyes._

"_Jason, stop it!" he shouted._

"_I can't…" Jason said softly. "I can't let you go… not to her."_

"_Jason, no!" The keys disappeared completely, leaving only ashes in Jason's hand before he poured them onto the ground._

"_I'm sorry, Tommy."_

_The red ranger turned around, slowly walking down the corridor. A wave of panic washed over Tommy, and he pulled on the bars, desperate to get out._

"_JASON!" he screamed in anguish, fear creeping into his voice._

_Jason continued walking down the hall, unresponsive to Tommy's desperate cries._

"_DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! JASON, _PLEASE_!" begged Tommy, his cries growing more frantic as Jason got further away._

"_Oh god, no… not again, please…"_

_He gasped when the walls around him began to shift, twisting and rotating until they rearranged themselves to become his cell back in the holding area._

_He could no longer see Jason's retreating form. He was alone in the small prison once again, shackles secured around his ankles. Although he wasn't there, Tommy could hear Goldar's cackling in the small room bouncing off the walls._

'He left me…'

"_**Sucks, doesn't it?"**__ came a voice to Tommy's right._

_The teen looked over in a daze, surprised to find Tom resting against the wall of his cell, a cigarette dangling from his lips._

"_**To have your faith in someone be broken… shattered to the point where it can never be repaired. It's quite traumatic."**_

_Tommy glared at him. "Is this your idea of fun, Tom? Making me live through that shit?"_

_The older man took a slow drag of his cigarette, exhaling slowly so that a steady stream of smoke flowed between his lips._

"_**Everything that just happened was because of T, not me. His idea of a gift to you – to show you what you wished had happened."**_

_The teen's jaw clenched. "And you? What was your gift?"_

_Tom chuckled humorlessly. __**"There was no need for me to give you anything but the truth… what really happened hurts more than **_**anything**_** I could conjure up."**_

_The admiral climbed to his feet, walking over so that he stood next to Tommy._

"_**T wants you to sacrifice for these people, for Jason… but did he sacrifice for you? What he did to you was the purest form of selfishness, plain and simple. Your allegiance should only be to those who have remained loyal to you – that's not Jason, not Kim, not any of your former friends."**_

_Tom took another long drag from his cigarette. __**"Don't trust what you feel, trust what you know."**_

_He threw the cigarette onto the ground, putting it out with his polished black shoe._

"_**And what you know is that the last time you believed in those bastards, you got burned. You were good the first time you were abandoned… do you really think all you've done since then will endear you to them now?"**_

_The teen considered his words, realizing that Tom had a point. _'The first time I hadn't even done anything and yet Jason left me to die… what the hell would I expect now, given what has happened since I became their enemy?'

"_**My point exactly."**_

_Tom disappeared from the room, leaving Tommy alone with his thoughts._

_He sat on the floor, head resting in his hands as he tried to recollect everything that happened. For a moment, he forgot the truth of what happened to him in the prison cell, allowing himself to believe in the fantasy T built for him. He wanted nothing more than to believe Jason rescued him, to believe his friend hadn't abandoned him when he needed him the most and that their relationship was still intact._

_The pain of having that false reality ripped from him was excruciating, and he found his body shaking as he cried on the floor. Sobs wracked his lean frame as the emotional baggage he carried from his capture hit him with unexpected force. He couldn't stop the tears no matter how hard he tried, and he let out a shaky breath when he began to calm down. _

_The hurt was still raw, but he was simply out of tears._

_Tommy pulled his legs against his chest, tucking his knees under his chin. His back rested against the cold wall heavily._

'Please wake up… please…'

_Tommy sensed a presence next to him, and lifting up his head, he noticed an outstretched hand in his face. The hand was open for him to grab, and he knew from just looking at it that the hand belonged to Lord Zedd ._

"_Come with me," commanded the emperor softly._

_Tommy took a shuddering breath, fingers flexing involuntarily as he decided on what to do. _

'Don't trust what you feel, trust what you know.'

_The only thing Tommy knew at the moment was that he hurt in a way that scared him. His friends were not supposed to cause him pain; they were supposed to care for him. Zedd cared for him, unlike the others, and had proven it time and time again._

'And that's what I know.'

_Steeling himself, he slowly reached out for Zedd's hand, gripping it in his large hand tightly._

"_I'm with you."_

* * *

**Stevros and Jenanthia Memorial Psychiatric Ward**

**KO-35**

**Local time, Noon**

Tommy read the sign outside the large white building for the fifteenth time.

Stevros and Jenanthia Memorial Psychiatric Ward.

'_It _would_ be named after their parents… like everything else on this damn planet,'_ he thought sourly.

He pulled his camouflage jacket tighter around his body as he made his way to the front doors. Ever since his talk with Andros, he couldn't stop thinking about Astronema or what Andros said happened to her. Normally, he wouldn't have paid it any mind, but his dreams had been getting worse, more vivid and intense, and he wasn't sleeping...

'_Did Karone go through this as well? Is Andros telling the truth?'_

'_**Of course not. He was lying about what happened to Astronema, just like he was lying about her true identity,' **_reasoned Tom.

'_**Well if he's lying,'**_ T said irritably,_** 'there's no harm in checking things out, right?'**_

"Right," said Tommy softly as he pushed open the door. He was immediately hit with the smell of antiseptic spray and bleach. Everything inside the lobby was white: the chairs, the front desk, the walls… _everything_. It unnerved him.

"Hi, there. Can I help you?" asked a dark-skinned woman behind the counter.

Tommy cleared his throat awkwardly as he approached her. "I-I'm here to visit a patient here… at least, I _think _she's here."

"Name?" asked the woman absently as she clicked several buttons on a keyboard.

"Karone."

The woman looked at him sharply. "Did you say _Karone_?"

He glared. "Did I stutter?"

Her eyes widened slightly before she made an irritated sound. "No need to get snappy. Karone doesn't usually get any visitors aside from that brother of hers… are you a friend of the family?"

Tommy gave a weak smile. "Something like that."

The woman nodded. "She should be happy to see you, then. Nothing helps the patients more than a familiar face… especially one so handsome."

She waved over a nurse. "Revna, Escort Mr…"

"Norris," he supplied.

"Right, Mr. Norris to 13C, please." She turned to Tommy. "Make sure you sign out when you leave, young man."

Revna turned to him. "Right this way."

As he followed the short brunette down the brightly lit hallway, Tommy couldn't help but wonder if this image was what one saw right before they died. The pure white color scheme had an ominous undertone to it, and it caused him to involuntarily shudder.

They stopped in front of a door labeled 13C, and Revna knocked softly on the door before opening it. "Karone, you have another visitor."

"Is it Andros?" a soft female voice asked hopefully.

"No, dear, but I'm sure you'll be happy to see them." Revna opened the door wider. "You have an hour."

Tommy made his way into the small room, surprised to see a myriad of colors everywhere, as if someone let children loose with paint. He spotted a chair a few feet away and sat down in it stiffly. Across the room on the floor was a thin girl with long blonde hair to the middle of her back. She wore a white hospital gown that went down to her shins and he noticed her feet were bare.

She cocked her head to the side. "I don't know you, do I?"

"I'm a… friend of your brother," said Tommy softly.

Karone smiled. "Any friend of Andros is a friend of mine." She moved over to him. "What's your name?"

"Tommy." There was no harm in telling her who he was… who would believe her?

She smiled. "Tommy," she repeated slowly. "Why are you here?"

He licked his lips. "I wanted to ask you something… something important."

"Sounds serious," she said as she took a seat across from him.

"How did you end up here, Karone?" he asked earnestly. "When the nurse brought me to see you, I could hear the other patients screaming in their rooms, talking to themselves… You seem normal, though."

"I am normal," she said with urgency, hands grabbing his forearms tightly. "There's nothing wrong with me, I swear. It's just a misunderstanding."

"Then why–"

"_Shut up_!" she yelled loudly, causing Tommy's mouth to close immediately.

She looked at him apologetically. "Sorry, she's usually not that talkative. I think it's because you're here." She leaned in conspiratorially. "She thinks you're cute."

He blinked. "She?"

Karone indicated for him to move closer with her finger and her voice dropped to a whisper. "Over in the corner over there."

Tommy turned his head to look only for Karone to grab the sides of his face and bring his attention back to her. "Not so fast, you'll scare her."

He knew there was no one over there, but forced a smile to appease her. "Of course."

"**Man… that girl's nuttier than squirrel shit,"** said Tom from across the room.

The green ranger's eyes widened when he caught sight of the admiral resting on the wall, posted up with a cigarette dangling from his lips. Tommy blinked hard, only to find that Tom was in the same position.

He was really there.

"**Shut up, Tom,"** hissed T, who appeared sitting at Tommy's right. **"Keep listening Tommy."**

Tommy didn't respond, still shocked that they were actually there._ 'H-how…'_

Karone peered at Tommy curiously, fingers running along his face in wonder. Her hands found their way to his hairline, and she closed her eyes as she began to sway softly from side to side.

"Karone?" he asked, confused by her actions.

Her eyes opened and she looked at him with understanding. "You've been touched. I can hear them in your mind. Two of them." She made a face. "They argue a lot… must drive you crazy."

His eyes widened. "How the hell –?"

T nudged Tommy in his side. **"She's good."** The boy's touch caused Tommy to tense; he could actually _feel_ him.

'_Maybe I should leave… this place isn't helping my mental state.'_

"**Good idea,"** said Tom who was now sitting on the floor. **"Never should've come here in the first place."**

Karone tapped her index finger against Tommy's forehead as she smiled sadly. "He took from you… just like he took from me." She ran her fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry."

Tommy swallowed hard, eyes never leaving her face. "What did he take from you?"

Karone rose to her feet and began to pace in the small room. "No, no… I can tell him, Jenai. He has the mark, just like me."

Tommy grew uncomfortable as he watched her carry on dialogue with a figment of her imagination.

"**Jenai is as real to her as we are to you," **pointed out T as he grabbed Tommy's forearm. The green ranger swallowed thickly when he felt the body heat from the younger boy coming through his clothes; he could even hear him breathing. "**You can see us… why can't she see Jenai?"**

The green ranger looked worried. _'But do I actually sound like this?'_

She stared blankly at the wall before pointing a finger angrily at the open space. "I can trust him, Jenai. _We _can trust him. H-He's the only one who can understand." She wringed her hands together in agitation. "Maybe… I'm not sure."

He looked frantically between her and the space where 'Jenai' was. "What? What is it?"

She eyed him warily. "Jenai thinks you're lying, that you're just like the rest of them. You don't really believe she's here; you think I'm crazy."

Tommy moved from his chair so that he was standing in front of her. "I do believe you."

He licked his lips nervously. "Jenai started off in your head, right? Talking to you and only you?"

Karone looked at him with wide eyes before nodding. "I thought she wasn't real before, just around in my head to help sort out my thoughts…" She glanced in 'Jenai's' direction. "I don't remember what it's like to be without her now."

Tommy took a deep breath before resting his hands on her shoulders. "How did this happen to you, Karone? Did Zedd do this to you?"

He felt her tense beneath his hands and she nodded slightly. "Did this happen when you became Astronema?"

Karone pulled away from him violently. "We don't talk about her," she growled, startling him.

"Whoa, hey… calm down," he said soothingly.

"He promised. Andros promised me I wouldn't have to talk about her anymore…" she said looking at him with wild eyes.

"Okay, okay. We won't talk about Astronema," he said in an attempt to get her to relax.

"_DON'T_ SAY HER NAME!" she screamed at him. A sudden pain struck him in his head, forcing him to his knees. He held his head in his hands as he writhed in agony on the ground; it felt as if his brain was being sliced with a hot knife.

"WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SAY HER NAME!" she yelled frantically, running over to the farthest corner of the room and curling into a ball.

Tommy gasped for breath when the pain stopped abruptly, and he blinked back tears from the residual pain.

"What the _fuck_ was that?" he coughed out.

"**Psychic blast… she's damn powerful," **wheezed T who was sitting on the ground holding his head in pain.

"Yeah, I'm catching on quickly." With powers like that, it was no wonder Lord Zedd would recruit someone like her.

"**Believe Andros now, do you?" **asked T. Tommy had no response to that.

He climbed to his feet slowly, taking deep breaths in order to regain his bearings. The sounds of sniffling and choked sobs reached his ears, and he was shocked to see a red-faced Karone crying in the corner near her bed.

A loud knock at the door caused him to flinch. "Is everything all right in there?"

"Everything's fine," he answered hoarsely.

"You have ten minutes left, Mr. Norris." The sound of fading footsteps reached his ears.

Tommy slowly made his way over to Karone, who by now had stopped crying and was staring blankly at the wall next to her. Her face was wet and blotchy, and her eyes were still watery.

He cleared his throat. "Karone?"

She directed her vacant expression at him.

"Are you all right?"

She turned her gaze back to the wall. "You should leave, Tommy. You're upsetting Jenai."

He sighed. "Karone…"

She didn't respond to her name being called. Her eyes were closed and she was mumbling and nodding to herself… or rather to 'Jenai'.

'_Son of a bitch.'_

He watched her for some time before making the decision to leave, eyes never leaving the frail girl as he made his way to the door. He walked out of the room, frustrated to find himself more confused coming out than he was going in.

"Fuck," he muttered to himself. That was the last thing he needed.

Nurse Revna led him down the hallway back to the front desk. "Karone seems to be popular today. Don't think she's ever had this many visitors in one day."

Tommy raised an eyebrow. _'Having two visitors makes her popular?'_ He couldn't help but find that odd and a bit sad.

The desk worker had changed, now a middle-aged man behind the computer. He lifted a clipboard up onto the counter without looking at the green ranger.

"Sign out, please," he said gruffly.

Tommy grabbed the attached pen as he scribbled his 'name' into the appropriate box.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he handed back the clipboard, but not before catching sight of an unexpected name on the sheet, four lines above his. There in blue ink was the name of the last person he expected to visit Karone.

_Sabrina Scorpus._

Scorpina.

"**And the plot thickens," **said T in amusement as he looked over Tommy's shoulder at the sign-in sheet. Tommy couldn't help but notice that Tom was suspiciously quiet.

Tommy flipped through the pages on the clipboard quickly, surprised to see the name show up three more times.

"Sir?"

Tommy looked up to see the desk worker looking at him in confusion. He handed the sign out sheets back to the man.

"Sorry about that. I'll be on my way." The green ranger hurried out of the ward, mind racing a mile a minute.

'_So Scorpina likes to visit Karone while everyone's away,' _he thought to himself. _'That means she knows Astronema didn't die, among other things.'_

The green ranger had no idea what Scorpina really knew about Karone and her mental situation, but he was sure as hell going to find out.

* * *

**General Scorpina's Quarters**

**The Sextans**

**Outside of KO-35**

**Local time, unknown**

Tommy sat slouched in the leather chair as he waited in the darkness. His fingers tapped a steady beat against the polished wood surface before moving to grip the tiny shot glass full of _Daem_. He swirled it around slowly before downing it quickly, letting out a deep breath afterwards before pouring another from his flask.

Tom and T were with him, the former sitting on the couch opposite him and the other on the armrest of his chair. They followed him all the way from the psychiatric ward, bickering over the stupidest things and giving the green ranger a migraine. He knew they weren't actually with him, but they appeared so realistic he was starting to doubt his sanity. The two nearly came to blows earlier when they were in his quarters, and he was internally relieved to find his flask of _Daem_ nearby and drank some to calm his nerves.

Even with their arguing, they were a welcome change to the fake-Kimberly that used to follow him around. She was so much like the real Kimberly and at the same time so different from her; it drove him crazy to have her taunting him.

Tommy had been waiting in Scorpina's quarters for about half an hour or so, waiting for her to return from her meeting with Goldar. It had taken some coercion, but he managed to convince Anebris to beam aboard the Sextans and grant him access to Scorpina's room. Tommy chuckled when he remembered the horrified look on the slave's face when he requested to break into Scorpina's personal quarters. Tommy was sure he about pissed himself from fear.

The door to her room opened suddenly, light spilling in from the hallway. He could make out the curvy outline of Scorpina's silhouette in the doorway. Her hand moved to the light switch, only to pause midway.

"Want to tell me what the hell you're doing in my quarters, Oliver? You're hardly in a position to be so careless."

Tommy gave a low laugh before taking another shot of _Daem_. "Depends. Wanna tell me why you've been visiting Andros' sister since the day we stepped foot on KO-35?"

There was a pause and he heard her swear softly before closing the door behind her and turning on the lights. "How do you know about that?" she asked as she moved around the room, setting her things down before sitting on the couch next to Tom. "How did you even get in here?"

"Anebris," he said dismissively. "And how I know doesn't matter. Why've you been visiting her?"

"That's really none of your business," she hissed.

"It is when Astronema is supposed to be _dead_," he retorted snidely.

The two glared angrily at each other for several seconds before Tommy made a gagging noise. "Jesus _Christ_, Scorpina… you reek," he said with a groan. "Goldar is _all_ over you."

"He's my husband, idiot. What do you expect?"

"I expect you to take pity on those of us that don't enjoy his disgusting smell or the knowledge that the two of you have been experiencing marital bliss. Ugh," he complained.

"Jealous because your pink ranger isn't here?"

"Cute." He narrowed his eyes before changing the subject. "Why did you lie and say Astronema was dead?"

"I didn't lie," she said forcefully. "_Astronema_ is dead… _Karone _isn't."

"What happened to her?" asked Tommy. When Scorpina gave no answer, he snarled. "I can either ask you or bring this up to Zedd. Maybe he can give me an answer."

Scorpina snorted. "You're bluffing. It's not as if I'm hiding her from him. It's public record that Karone is at the psychiatric ward. You have no proof I've done anything wrong."

"Except lie to Lord Zedd." Tommy shook his head mockingly. "I don't think he'll like that very much, Scorpy. You know how he feels about liars."

Scorpina's heated gaze stayed fixed on him. "I'm not telling you anything until you tell me what exactly is going on between you and Kimberly."

He sighed, already prepared for her to use that bargaining chip. "I had an affair with the pink ranger in order to piss off Jason, and it obviously worked. After your precious husband snitched to Zedd, I had to end a good thing a little too soon for my taste. That's it."

Scorpina studied him before rolling her eyes. "Get out. If you're not going to be honest with me–"

"I _am_ being honest," he hissed. "I told you the truth!"

"You told me parts of the truth, but that's not the whole story. You want to know about Astronema, you need to start talking. _Now_."

"**Make something up,"** said Tom. **"You can't tell her the truth."**

'_She'll know I'm lying. She knows me too fucking well.'_

"**Then I guess you better get your story straight," **said T.

Tommy clenched his jaw, debating on what to do. If he told Scorpina the truth, he would put himself in danger. If he didn't tell her, he wouldn't know the truth about Astronema.

"**Do you even need to know what happened to her? Astronema's not even important," **pointed out Tom.

'_I'm not sure, but I think… I think I do. I was told she was dead, only to find out she's actually alive but now she's nuts. Andros tells me it's because of what Zedd did to her; Karone backs up his story but she's crazy. I-I need to know if he's right… if the same thing will happen to me.'_

Tom jabbed a finger angrily at Scorpina.** "She will betray you."**

Tommy took a deep breath. "Before I tell you, I need you to swear on your life that you won't tell a soul. Not Goldar, not Lord Zedd… no one can know."

Her eyes widened slightly. "It's that serious?"

"_Swear on your life_," he insisted holding out his hand. "If you repeat what I tell you, you will die by my hand willingly."

"You want me to do this without knowing what you're going to tell me first?" she asked incredulously.

"We both know you won't go back on your word. I need that reassurance before I tell you anything."

Scorpina eyed him hesitantly before clasping his hand tightly. "I swear."

He released her with a heavy sigh before resting his head in his hands. "She's pregnant," he said softly.

"She's _what_?" asked Scorpina in shock. "How did you… why would…"

"I know," he said mournfully.

"Clearly you _don't_," she hissed. "How could you be so irresponsible? Don't your people have methods to prevent this from happening?"

He nodded. "We never took… preventative measures."

"Well obviously," she snapped. "Tommy, this is serious. When Lord Zedd finds out–"

"_When_ he finds out? You swore you wouldn't tell!" he said fiercely, panic creeping into his voice.

"In a few months, I won't have to," she shot back. "She's going to show eventually, and he's smart enough to figure out that you're the father. You kept me from killing her back in San Francisco… she was pregnant then, wasn't she?"

At his silence, she continued, "Here I thought you just had feelings for her all this time, but you were trying to protect your child. That's why you were willing to fight me to save her life… that's why you won't attack Angel Grove." She studied him carefully. "You want this baby." It wasn't a question.

His eyes moved to the floor. "I-I don't know."

"Whether or not you can admit it, your actions answer the question for you… among other things."

His eyes flashed green. "I'm not in love with her," he hissed angrily.

Scorpina raised an eyebrow. "I never said you were."

Tommy looked away, unable to handle her knowing gaze.

Scorpina cleared her throat softly. "How far along is she?"

He shrugged. "Never really thought to ask. We're always arguing or I'm off fighting in some other country."

"Arguing about what?"

His nostrils flared in anger. "She thinks I ruined her life and hates me for it." He rolled his eyes. "She doesn't want me to have a role in our child's life. Something about becoming just like me or whatever."

"With what's in store for the child, I'd have to agree with her," admitted Scorpina.

"What are you talking about?"

She looked at him as if he were stupid. "Surely you know that as a commanding officer, your child would be forced to become a warrior."

He blinked. "I didn't know that," he said slowly. "Is that a rule?"

"It's the law," she stated. "All children of commanding officers are to begin training by their first birthday."

He looked at her in alarm. "Their _first_ birthday? They're still babies… isn't that dangerous?" The mental image of a baby holding a pistol was unbearably disturbing to the green ranger.

"**It's not that bad,"** reasoned Tom who sat with his feet propped up on the coffee table. **"Wouldn't you want your child to have as much experience as possible?"**

She nodded. "New children were always coming in when I would do my training. Not all of them made it." She gave a slight smile. "That's where I met Goldar. His family has been serving as ranking officials for the Dark Empire since Goldar I, nearly four centuries."

Tommy paled at this. **"Your own legacy? A high achievement for any soldier," **said Tom proudly.

Scorpina shook her head. "If the pink ranger's fear is that your child would end up a warrior like you, she has every reason to want to keep the child away from you. Not to mention the fact that this child will be the result of a power ranger and one of Lord Zedd's best warriors? Much would be expected of them… their training would be far more intensive."

"**Think of the power that would come from such a union,"** said a giddy Tom, eyes radiant with green energy. "**They would be unstoppable under Lord Zedd's guidance."**

'_Everyone would know my name… my child's name… but for what? Being like Goldar? Possibly worse?'_

Tommy ran a hand along his five o'clock shadow in agitation. "I don't want that… not for my child."

"Why not?" she asked. "You chose it for yourself."

"Exactly, I _chose_ it," he pointed out. "Not like you and Goldar; you were bred for this."

"I was meant to be a _concubine_," she interrupted stiffly. "Lord Zedd saved me."

"But even then, you were a child when your training began." He sighed irritably. "My point is that you didn't have a choice or a say in what you could do. That was taken from you."

There was a tense silence. "When Lord Zedd finds out about the baby, all choices will already have been made," she said softly.

"**That's only true if you allow it, Tommy,"** T reminded gently.

Tommy pressed his thumbs against his temples as he tried to picture a future with a child like Goldar. The thought made him nauseous.

"**Your child doesn't have to have that life. You know what you need to do."**

"I held up my end," said Tommy. "Now it's your turn." The two stared each other down.

"This can't be repeated." She held out her hand. "Swear it."

He grasped her hand tightly. "On my life." He let go of her. "Tell me about Astronema."

Scorpina sighed, a resigned look on her face. "It began several years ago, when Goldgoyle came to this galaxy with the intent to enslave the people of KO-35.

"He broke intergalactic law, never giving the planet time to prepare for or plan a response to the invasion. The leader of KO-35 at the time was Stevros, along with his mate, Jenanthia. In a meeting to work out negotiations, Goldgoyle killed the two, taking over leadership afterwards.

"Stevros left behind two children, Andros and Karone. Andros was off doing his training on Eltar as he was chosen to serve as the red Space ranger, leaving Karone at home to defend their planet when Goldgoyle arrived. As the daughter of their late leader, she was expected to save the people of KO-35.

"Karone pleaded with the Eltarian council to assist with saving their planet, but they could only promise help in the coming days. Karone realized this would be too late and decided to ask Lord Zedd for help. His response was immediate."

She scratched black nails against the table. "He had me train her after she informed him that she wanted to fight for her planet. Her training was similar to what I did with you but less intensive since she had the distinct advantage of telepathy and telekinesis. When Karone could prove her ability to fight, Zedd gave her the power she desired, and she chose a new name to describe herself – Astronema."

"What did he take from her?" asked Tommy. "When he gave me my green ranger powers, he took away my guilt. I'm assuming something similar happened to Karone."

"Compassion," whispered Scorpina. "He took away her compassion."

There was a pause. "What happened to her? How did she end up in the ward?"

"We were on the brink of taking over KO-35 when she began to change. She looked worn down, ragged… as if she hadn't rested for some time."

"She had trouble sleeping?" he interrupted.

Scorpina nodded. "She wouldn't say anything, but I knew. The bags under her eyes, inability to concentrate… she was always cranky and tired. And even if that didn't clue me in, her screams did."

"Screams?" he repeated. "She- she had nightmares?"

The brunette eyed him suspiciously. "Night terrors," she corrected. "Our quarters were near each other. I could hear her screaming at night sometimes. I woke her up once… she was covered in sweat, crying."

Tommy's mouth felt incredibly dry. "What else?" he croaked.

"Why do you need to know?" she wondered.

"Answer the question," he said vehemently.

Scorpina took a deep breath and continued. "She would be seen talking out loud when no one was there… carrying on conversations with herself. Hallucinating, even."

"How?" he asked in a whisper, eyes wide. "Hallucinating how?"

"She would say things, do things as if they made sense… but they never did. The people she saw, the places she went… the voices she heard… they were all in her head." Her eyes filled with sadness. "It got to the point where she couldn't tell what was real or fake anymore."

Tommy nodded absently, knowing Scorpina's words to be true. Karone's conversation with 'Jenai' was fresh in his mind. _'Could all this really be happening to me, too?'_ he wondered fearfully.

"So then what?" he pressed on.

"Lord Zedd wanted to evaluate her at the end of the invasion, to see if she was still useful to the Dark Empire. If it turned out she wasn't, she would be disposed of."

She looked away. "Karone… her mental state had regressed so much, I knew she had no value to the empire. At the end of the battle, I knocked her unconscious and took her to the house of one of her friends. She was admitted to the psychiatric ward some time after."

"Why not kill her? Why go through the trouble of saving her life?"

A ghost of a smile crossed her face. "She saved my ass more times than I'd like to admit. I owed that to her."

Her smile disappeared, and she studied him closely. "Why the sudden interest in Astronema?"

"What?"

"You've never asked about her before." Her eyes narrowed. "How did she even cross your mind?"

"Nothing, I just… something Andros said in our meeting." He looked away.

"What did he say?" she pressed.

"Doesn't matter anymore. I got my answers." The green ranger stood, eyes wild. "I need to go."

Scorpina stood. "Tommy, wait–"

But the teen was too fast for her, rushing out of her room and to his quarters. He barked his name at the control panel and the door slid open. Tommy pressed his hands to his temples.

"**Well, that was informative,"** said T as he took a seat in a nearby chair.

"Shut up," hissed Tommy as he paced. "This is all in my head – both of you. I'm not going crazy like Karone."

Tom placed a hand on his shoulder. **"Of course you're not."**

The green ranger scrambled away from him, distancing himself from both. "Don't _touch _me!" he shouted.

T shot Tom a questioning look. **"Tommy, you need to relax…"**

"No, shut up." Tommy looked between them with frantic eyes. "I'm not like her; this is just from stress…"

That was the only explanation.

"**We know that,"** reassured Tom.

"STOP AGREEING WITH ME!" yelled Tommy in frustration. "You _can't_ agree with me – you're not a real person!" He turned to T. "Neither are you."

T took a tentative step forward. **"Listen…"**

The green ranger backed away, grabbing a nearby shoe off the ground. "Stay the fuck away from me."

"**Okay, he's lost it,"** T said with a bit of a laugh. **"Really, a shoe?"**

Tommy ignored him, backing up until he was in his bedroom. He ducked inside, closing the door quickly and locking it before tossing the shoe on the ground.

"Okay, Tommy, think," he whispered to himself. "This can all be explained. You're stressed because of Andros… didn't Scorpina say he plays mental games? What if he's doing his freaky telepath shit to you right now?"

"**He's not!"** T answered through the door. **"You're really loud when you whisper, bro. Might wanna work on that."**

The green ranger growled in annoyance before turning to his bed. _'I can't be going crazy. It doesn't make sense…'_

But was there really any other explanation? From seeing Kimberly everywhere to the horrible nightmares to the physical manifestation of T and Tom, he definitely seemed to be losing his mind.

'_Or… it could be sleep deprivation,'_ he reasoned. _'Not getting enough sleep can cause strange things to happen to your body, and I haven't had a decent night of sleep in days.' _He knew this from the all-nighters he pulled in high school.

He could hear Tom and T moving around outside in his living room. _'I should be safe if they're out there.'_

Tommy walked over to his bed, climbing in and covering his head with a pillow as he closed his eyes. He was tired enough that he knew it wouldn't take long to fall asleep, and if _they_ weren't near him, he might actually get the rest he needed.

* * *

**Angel Grove Youth Center**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**Christmas Eve**

_Tommy entered the Youth Center in a rush, quickly pushing back the hood of his camouflage jacket. He rubbed his hands together quickly, warming them as best he could. _

"_Hey, Tommy!" said Trini when she saw him, a bright smile on her face._

_The long-haired teen grinned when he saw his friend, gathering her into a tight hug._

"_How you doin', Tri?"_

_She pulled back from him with a smile. "Good. We're still setting everything up."  
_

_Tommy nodded, running a hand through his hair as he looked around the Youth Center. The place was filled with teenagers decorating the center. Billy and Zack were helping a group of small children hang up decorations on the large tree. The annual Angel Grove Children's Christmas Show was that evening._

"_I'm gonna see if anyone needs my help," said Tommy as he walked over to the guys. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed Kim in his peripheral. He turned in her direction, grinning wide when he saw her jumping up with something in her hand._

_Tommy made his way over to her, arms crossed over his chest as he stood off to the side. She wore dark denim jeans, a soft white turtleneck, and white sneakers. He was particularly fond of how the jeans hugged her body._

"_Need some help?"_

_Kim stopped jumping, turning at the sound of his voice. Tommy felt his breath hitch in his throat when she looked up at him, eyes shining._

"_Yes, I do. You think you can put this up for me?" she asked sweetly, holding the leafy object in front of his face._

_He grabbed it from her, recognizing it as mistletoe. "Sure thing, midget."_

_Tommy reached up, hanging the plant up in the archway of the Youth Center. He looked down at her, stomach filled with butterflies when he saw her look between him and the mistletoe._

"_So…" he said softly._

_She shot him a smile. "It's tradition, right?"_

_She closed her eyes, and Tommy took that as his cue to make a move. He stepped closer to her, their bodies nearly touching. Slowly, he leaned down, mouth hovering over hers for some time before he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth._

"_Merry Christmas," he whispered when he pulled back._

_She giggled. "Not like that." Her soft hands framed his face as she pulled him back down, their lips colliding softly. _

_His eyes bugged from the contact. _'Wait… what?'

_Tommy pulled back from her abruptly, eyeing the petite girl warily. "Kim…"_

_A slap on the back broke his concentration, and he felt himself be pulled into a playful headlock._

"_Look at you two… there are kids here, guys! Try and keep it PG."_

_It was Jason._

_Tommy heard Kim scoff. "Oh shush, Jase. Just because _you're_ lonely and no one loves you doesn't mean we should behave any differently. Right__, h__andsome?"_

_Tommy stilled at the nickname, shrugging off Jason's arm as he stood back looking at the two. His brown eyes moved frantically between the two of them._

"_Did you just call me _handsome_?" he asked her._

"_**She sure did, genius...a fitting nickname for us, I'd say."**_

_Behind Kim and Jason, T was resting lazily against the wall chewing bubble gum. The sleeves of his green sweatshirt were rolled up and, as usual, headphones were covering his ears._

'You…'

"_**Yeah… me."**__ The younger version of him pushed off the wall, running a hand through his shoulder-length hair._

_Kim raised an eyebrow. "Yeah… I've only been calling you that for the last two years, silly."_

_Tommy scratched his head in confusion. "Two years…"_

_She peered at him. "Since we started dating…? What's wrong with you, Tommy?"_

_His eyebrows rose high on his forehead. _'We've been dating for two years?'

_T stood beside him chuckling. __**"I know… who'd have thought we'd be tied down to a girl? But Kim's worth it, bro."**__ He looked at Tommy from the corner of his eye. __**"But you knew that already."**_

"_You okay, bro?" asked Jason in concern. "I know you got knocked around yesterday in that fight with Goldar, but you looked fine afterwards. Do we need to have Alpha scan you?"_

_Tommy blinked hard twice. "Alpha? Alpha 5?"_

_Kim and Jason shared a look. "You know any other Alphas?"_

_A low whistle hit his ears. __**"Cool it, bro. Just go with it."**_

_Tommy glanced down at their wrists, silver communicators shining against their skin. He pulled up the sleeve of his left hand, surprised to see a morpher on his wrist as well. He traced the alien device with shaking fingers._

'How…?' _he asked softly._

_T grinned. __**"That would be courtesy of moi."**_

'But how did-'

"_**Just a little digging. I'm you, remember?"**__ Tommy felt T grip his shoulders. __**"I can see what you really want, Tommy…what truly makes you happy. Isn't this what you wanted before?**__** Does**__**n't this make you happy?"**_

"_Jase, get Billy," he heard Kim whisper._

_Tommy shook his head slowly, swallowing thickly as he turned his gaze to them. "No… I just…"_

_He cleared his throat. "Sorry, I'm having a rough day."_

"_You sure?" asked Jason in concern, hand cupping Tommy's shoulder._

_Tommy nodded weakly, and Jason squeezed his shoulder affectionately before heading off. He stared behind the red ranger with a pained expression._

'We're still friends…'

_T nodded. __**"The best of them."**_

'I never realized how much I miss having Jase around. God.'

"_**If you miss him so much, do something about it, Tommy."**_

_Tommy grew sad. '_It's too late… what's done is done and we can't go back.'

"_**But it's never too late to move forward,"**__ hissed T fiercely._

_Kim waited until Jason was away before grabbing Tommy's hand, pulling him off to the side. "Baby, are you okay?"_

_Tommy licked his lips. "Yeah, I'm- uh… I'm fine."_

_T smiled wickedly. __**"And so is she… you better make a move on her before I do."**_

_She interlocked their fingers. "You sure?"_

_He looked down at their joined hands before trailing his eyes up to her doe brown ones._

'This must be a dream.'

"_**It could be reality if you let it."**_

"_Yeah… I just…" He look__ed around, half-expecting putties__ to jump out and attack them. Seeing no threat, he cupped her cheek with his hand. "You're beautiful, you know that?"_

_He could literally see her melt at his words._

"_I don't- I don't tell you that enough, do I?"_

"_**Hmm… maybe someone should try being as **_**nice**_** and **_**honest**_** with Kim on a regular basis. But whoever could I be talking about?"**__ asked T in a voice dripping with sarcasm._

_Tommy brushed a thumb over her bottom lip softly, bending down to capture her mouth in a kiss. He felt her take a surprised gasp before kissing him back, her hands finding their way into his hair. His tongue moved skillfully in her mouth, fighting hers for dominance._

_His hands moved to her waist, wrapping around them tightly as he pulled her flush against him. They broke apart for air briefly, and his lips fused with hers once more._

_He felt her jerk in his arms, and Tommy suddenly tasted something strange on his tongue. _

'What the hell?'

_Something was filling his mouth quickly, and the taste was becoming unbearable. Ripping his lips away from hers, he spit the substance onto the ground, eyes widening when he saw a small puddle of blood on the ground. Lifting his hand, he wiped the back of his mouth, skin now crimson._

"_T, what the fuck is – oh _god_," he gasped as he looked at Kim._

_Kim stood before him, skin sickeningly pale. Blood poured forth from her lips at an alarming rate, coloring her white sweater. _

"_Kim, _no_…"_

_Behind her, the charred remains of the Youth Center littered the ground. Nothing was left of the building save for a few melted chairs and crumbled walls. Dead bodies littered the floor; some faces he knew, others he didn't. Ernie was behind the Juice Bar, a large pipe sticking through his forehead. Jason's body was ripped in half, on two opposite sides of the center. Next to the now-burned Christmas tree were skeletons, flesh melted away. Blood was splattered along the wall._

'Jesus…'

_He forced himself to focus on Kim, reaching around her to pull weapon protruding from her back._

_His Dragon dagger._

_Tommy felt himself fly backwards suddenly, and he landed hard on his back, the sky spinning before his eyes. The air was filled with soot, giving everything a gray tinge as his vision swirled._

_Shaking his head, he pulled himself to his knees slowly; his head hurt from slamming into the ground._

_A loud scream pierced the air, and he jumped to his feet when he realized it was Kimberly. Tommy ran full speed towards her, frustrated when it seemed that no matter how far he ran, he was never getting closer. A dark figure stood over her, making furious motions at her body. He could hear her screaming for them to stop, and his blood ran cold when he saw her once-flailing limbs sag against the ground._

"_NO!" yelled Tommy, pushing his muscles harder to reach them._

_He sighed in relief when he started to get closer, but that relief quickly gave way to dread when he saw what was done to Kimberly._

_Her stomach was a bloody mess, as if she were hacked away. A wave of nausea hit him at the smell, and he turned, focusing on the person responsible for her death. Off to the side stood a man in the green ranger suit, the white sections on his torso and arms now covered with streaks of crimson and bloody handprints. Tommy noticed the last name 'Oliver' on the chest, and he felt heat course through his veins._

"_YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he screamed as he tackled the green ranger._

_Tommy wrapped his hands around his neck, squeezing the life out of him. "How could you do this, Tom? You sick bastard!" He tightened his grip around the man's throat, ignoring the insistent tug at his wrists._

"_Not… Tom…" rasped out the green ranger._

_Tommy let go in shock. "What?"_

_The person coughed violently inside his helmet, gasping for air until he finally reached up, unbuckling his helmet. Chestnut hair was the first thing Tommy saw, followed by a chiseled jawline and thin nose. He was no older than sixteen, eyes closed and faced flushed as he tried to catch his breath._

_Tommy growled low, grabbing the boy by the front of his chest and yanking him up. "Who the fuck are you?"_

_The teen's eyes fluttered open, and Tommy's heart skipped a beat when he saw his own eyes staring back at him in confusion._

"_Who am I? What's wrong with you, dad?"_

_Tommy released the boy immediately, climbing off of him in a state of shock. "No… no… no…"_

"_Dad?" The teen rolled over, looking at him curiously. "Dad?"_

"_Stop _calling_ me that!" shouted Tommy, head in his hands._

_It was then he finally took note of his own clothing, black and red spandex covering every part of his body below the neck. 'Oliver' was written on the right side of his chest above Lord Zedd's insignia, and he traced it with trembling fingers._

"_This isn't real. This isn't real…this isn't real…" he whispered to himself, hands pressed tightly over his ears._

_Dark laughter behind him caused him to turn, and he found himself staring at someone's legs. Hands on his shoulders yanked him upwards, and Tommy found himself standing on shaky feet._

"_**What's the matter, Tommy? Don't like what you see?" **__Tom shook his head. __**"Zedd would be so disappointed in you."**_

_Tommy's hands gripped Tom's black shirt._

"_**Easy on the threads, kid."**_

"_Shut up," hissed Tommy angrily. "Why… why her?"_

"_**Orders from the boss… you know the deal."**__ Tom rolled his eyes. __**"Relax, it's not like the boy knows who she is. She's just another pathetic power ranger to him."**_

"_But _you_ know who she is," accused Tommy. "You let him kill _his own mother_. Is this a game to you?"_

_Tom shoved Tommy away roughly; the combination of his short haircut and glowing green eyes gave him a menacing look._

"_**Unlike you, he doesn't let silly emotional ties keep him from doing his job. He had an order, and he followed through. You were supposed to kill her, not kiss her." **__He grinned. __**"Though I do understand the temptation."**_

"_This isn't funny!" Tommy's lip curled in disgust. "I can't believe how little she means to you."_

_Tom shook his head. __**"To **_**us**_**, Tommy. How little she means to us." **_

_Tommy looked away._

_Tom pointed at the teen in the green power suit. __**"Would you rather it be your son or her dead on the ground, Tommy? Or better yet, how about **_**you**_**? Would **__**you **__**like a bullet embedded in your skull?"**_

"_No, I-I wouldn't but…"_

"_**But nothing,"**__ snarled Tom. __**"The only thing that matters is serving Lord Zedd, do you understand**__** that? **__**At the end of the day, he is what keeps you alive. Never lose that perspective."**_

"_I'm not safe with him."_

_Tom looked past him with a grim expression. __**"Yeah… but you're a lot less safe without him."**_

_Tommy screamed when he felt his flesh rip, a burning sensation radiating from his stomach. He reached down, lightheaded when he felt his own blood coat his gloved fingers. He winced when he felt the blade come out, and he stumbled backwards, falling to his knees._

_His son stood before him, brown eyes a shining green as he held the bloody sword in his hands._

"_**Weakness is not tolerated in our empire, you know this," **__reminded Tom._

_Tommy took a shuddering breath when the tip of the blade pressed against his throat, his Adam's apple scraping against it as he swallowed thickly._

_Tommy watched in horror as the blade rose high above his head, and he was terrified to find that he was unable to move, body seemingly frozen in its position. The sweat gathered on his palms, and he concentrated on slowing down his heart rate._

_He didn't want to die. Not like this… not by him._

"T! HELP ME!"_ he screamed in desperation._

_The younger version of him materialized with a distant expression, hands tucked in his pockets. _

"_**There's nothing I can do. Not now."**_

_The blade came down on him with alarming speed and he steeled himself for the impact. The last thing Tommy remembered seeing was his son's pleased face, and Tom and T standing behind him on either side – the first with a disgusted expression, the latter looking quite sad._

"_**Sever your ties to her, Tommy,"**__ said Tom._

"_**Or join her,"**__ offered T._

_Tom scoffed. __**"In Hell."**_

_The two looked at him with stern gazes, and Tommy flinched when he felt the blade tear into his neck. __**"Make your choice."**_

The green ranger jerked out of his sleep, body wet from a mixture of sweat and tears. He reached up frantically to touch his neck, feeling for the cut from the blade. He froze when he felt a sticky substance on his fingers. Removing his hands, Tommy could see dark splotches on his fingertips. He grimaced when he tasted blood on his tongue and his eyes were drawn to the growing dark circle on his stomach.

'_Holy shit…'_

Tommy jumped out of bed, running full speed to his bathroom and flicking on the light. His body was covered in blood, hands stained with the crimson substance.

Tommy turned on the faucet with shaky hands and rubbed at the blood, but none of it washed off. He scrubbed and scrubbed until his skin felt raw, but the water going down the drain remained free of blood.

Ragged breathing behind him made him freeze, and he looked in the mirror to see a bloodied Kim looking at him with sad eyes. Without thinking, he lashed out in fright, hitting the mirror hard and cracking the glass. He rested his hands on the sides of the sink, catching his breath before looking back in the broken mirror, only to see that Kim was gone.

And so was the cut on his neck.

He reached up hesitantly, no longer feeling the torn flesh on his throat. His hands were clean, along with his clothes. Fingers slowly rubbed at his stomach, feeling nothing but firm flesh where there was once a gaping wound.

'_That's impossible. I saw it… I _felt_ it,'_ he thought in shock.

"**Sure you did,"** said T who was sitting on the edge of the bathtub. **"And yet here you are… perfectly fine."** He paused. **"Aside from the obvious, I mean."**

A stinging sensation in his palms caused him to wince, and he grunted when he saw the small pieces of glass stuck in his flesh.

"**You alright?"** asked T.

"Fine," said Tommy with a wince as he began to remove the glass from his hands. "Nothing I can't handle."

The dreams and hallucinations were reaching a new level of bad for the green ranger; he'd actually _hurt_ himself this time. They were growing more frequent, and he couldn't risk serious harm.

He needed to see Andros.

* * *

**Sacred Archives of KO-35**

**KO-35**

**Local time, Night**

"ANDROS!"

Tommy marched down the halls of the building in anger, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He couldn't remember where the main study was, so he was just going to have to draw Andros out to see him.

"WHERE THE _FUCK_ ARE YOU, ANDROS?" he yelled loudly.

Tommy slammed his fists into the walls, making as much noise as possible to attract attention.

"I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE!"

Beams of energy shot out from his hands, blowing large holes into the building. A sudden nudge in his back let the teen know he wasn't alone.

"What are you doing here, green ranger?" an angry male voice hissed.

"I'm here to see Andros. Take me to him and I won't kill you," ordered Tommy.

"He's not here."

Tommy's eyes flashed green before he whirled around, yanking the gun out of the man's hands and shoving him roughly against the wall. He threw the Astro Blaster to the ground before unsheathing his Dragon dagger, pressing the cool blade against the taller man's throat.

"I know he's here, Zhane. Where is he?" snarled the green ranger. He dug the blade into the teen's flesh, causing blood to drip onto the blade.

"Release him, now, or there will be no talking." Andros stood off to the right, hazel eyes ablaze with fury as he watched Tommy.

"Came to save your boyfriend? How sweet." He punched Zhane hard in the stomach before releasing him, letting the teen crumple to the ground in a heap at his feet. Tommy pointed his dagger in Andros' direction. "We need to talk. Privately."

Andros cast a concerned glance in Zhane's direction before nodding. "Follow me."

Zhane coughed harshly. "Andros…"

"I'll be fine; he won't hurt me… he _needs_ something from me." Andros smiled tightly. "Head to the bay. I'll be there shortly."

Zhane threw an angry glare in Tommy's direction before nodding and leaving them alone. They headed down a nearby corridor that led to his study, and Andros locked the door behind them once they were inside.

"Fix me," Tommy ordered roughly.

Andros blinked. "What?"

"I need you to fix me," he said again.

"What's wrong with you?"

Brown eyes turned green in anger. "You _know_ what's wrong with me. Fix it!"

Andros looked at him with understanding. "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"What the hell do you mean you _can't_? You did this to me! Aren't you supposed to be some all-powerful telepath?"

"I didn't do anything to you, Tommy." The rebel leader scowled. "And if it were as simple as you seem to think it is, Karone wouldn't be in a psychiatric ward, would she?" he yelled. "Besides, I already told you, I can't access your mind."

"**I could've sworn he already told you that,"** said Tom sarcastically from across the room as he took a seat in an open chair.

Tommy ignored him. "Why not? Karone can."

"Then obviously Karone isn't seen as a threat to you; I am."

"**One point for Andros,"** said Tom mockingly. **"He's on fire today."**

"What do you mean a threat?" asked the green ranger.

"Something in your mind is keeping me out, pushing me back every time I try to go deeper."

"**And that would be us. Well, mostly me… but T helps, too, sometimes," **said Tom as he took a drag of his cigarette.

Tommy whirled on the older man, Dragon dagger pointing in his direction. "Will you _shut_ the fuck up? I'm trying to have a conversation here."

He turned back to Andros, who looked shocked. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Who were you talking to? There's no one there."

Tommy closed his eyes tightly, free hand pressed against his temple firmly. "I know… I _know_ no one's there. But Tom – h-he won't shut up, and I'm trying to listen to you and he keeps interrupting…"

"Tom?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah… it's usually him and T. But T's not here right now, which is… really strange, actually; I thought he'd be here..." He looked around the room for the younger boy.

Andros watched him curiously. "You have _two_ voices in your head? Karone only has one."

"Not voices… people. They're me… but _not_ me." He shook his head as if to clear it. "I know they're not real. I really do!" he said frantically, wanting Andros to believe him.

"You sound like Karone," whispered Andros.

"I'M NOT CRAZY!" yelled Tommy sharply. "And neither is she! You just don't understand us."

His anger gave way to frustration at Andros' look of disbelief. "I'm not losing it, I just… I don't know what's wrong with me."

"**He can't help you, Tommy,"** informed Tom, who now appeared behind Andros.

"But he can try," said the green ranger hopefully. "He can try and help me." He turned to Andros. "Please."

Andros stared at Tommy with a bleak expression. "I can't reverse what Zedd has done to you. Even if I could access your mind, it would be too dangerous."

The rebel leader stepped away from him, walking away to take a seat. "The human mind is complex. Tampering with it can send things horribly out of order, as you can see."

Tommy slowly walked over to the chair across from Andros before sinking down. "What's wrong with my brain, Andros? What did Zedd do to me?"

Andros sat forward, elbows resting on his thighs. "I'm not sure, but after what happened to Karone and spending time with her… I have a theory."

"**Oh, **_**this**_** should be good,"** said Tom in amusement.

He ran a hand over his mouth before speaking. "Think of your mind as a chain. It's lengthy with numerous twists and turns, but on the simplest level, it's a loop. Every part of your mind is a link in that chain, and every part is equally important, because it holds the chain together.

"When Zedd made you his green ranger, I believe he removed a link in that chain. Your brain can still function normally because everywhere else, it's connected, but when you need to call on the part that's no longer there, you start having problems."

Tommy swallowed thickly. "He took away my ability to feel guilt," he whispered hoarsely.

Andros sat back slowly. "That's a heavy price to pay for power, though logical on his part. The brutality of your work would make any man feel terrible… feeling no guilt leaves you free to do whatever you want. Ingenious, really."

"Yeah," said Tommy softly, without any emotion.

Andros studied him. "Have there been times when you knew you should feel guilty but didn't?"

The older teen snorted. "Loads. I know what's _supposed_ to make me feel remorseful, but I- I just don't. It was fine until…"

"Until the nightmares," finished Andros.

"Night terrors," Tommy corrected without thinking. "I dream about people, my past. Things I've done, things I might do…"

"Are the vo – _people_ in your head there? During the night terrors?"

Tommy laughed humorlessly. "They're _always_ there, even when I'm awake. They guide the dreams… choose what's gonna happen, who's in it, all of that."

"How do you know?"

"Told me so," the green ranger mumbled.

Andros frowned. "Why would they do that?"

Tommy shrugged, frustration evident on his face. "I don't fucking know. They said something once about helping me. Fixing things in my head or whatever… I don't know what they were talking about."

"**Not our fault you're an idiot…"**

"Fixing things…" Andros raised an eyebrow. "Do they have personalities?"

"Do they ever," said Tommy sarcastically. "There's T; he's annoying as hell, but most seventeen-year-olds are. Really cocky, a little stupid… he's not a fan of the work that I do as the green ranger." Tommy scratched at his goatee. "And then there's Tom… he's fucking crazy, an admiral for Lord Zedd."

Tom glared. **"I hope you realize I can hear you. I may not be real, but I have feelings."**

"Admiral?"

The green ranger nodded. "He loves what I do. Always encouraging me to do more, push for more. They can't stand each other."

"**We'd be fine if T weren't such a pest,"** said Tom in disgust.

"Would you say they're opposites?" asked Andros.

Tommy considered this. "Well, they're _me_… but sure, I guess that's okay to say. They do manage to agree on things sometimes, but for the most part they're butting heads." He paused. "It's really annoying actually."

"**And we both know whose fault that is..."**

"I'd imagine so," murmured the long-haired teen. "And these two are supposed to help you?"

Tommy nodded. "Something like that." He sighed. "I know this sounds completely crazy but–"

Andros held up a hand. "It's not crazy… far from it, actually. This is _fascinating_. I've always heard about encephalo reparations but never –"

"En-en-en-_what_?" stuttered Tommy.

Tom scoffed. **"What the hell? Is he Billy now?"**

"Brain repair," simplified Andros. "It's been thought that the brain may take steps to repair itself when injured. While this process seems incredibly convoluted, that's the only explanation I can think of for this. Subjecting you to night terrors… are these dreams usually ones that cause an emotional response?"

Tommy shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah… or at least, they're supposed to. I can't feel what I think they want me to."

"Guilt?" asked Andros. Tommy simply nodded.

"They're trying to mend your brain back together, undo what Lord Zedd has done." Andros had a faraway look in his eyes. "I wonder if the same thing is happening to Karone. I was never able to see it because she was so far gone by the time I got back…"

Tommy stared at him in wonder. "How do you _know_ so much about this stuff?"

"**He doesn't know **_**anything**_**, Tommy,"** said Tom snidely. **"They're all fancy words to confuse you. Don't listen to him."**

Andros smirked. "You didn't think they just let telepaths loose on the population without first educating us about the fragility of the mind, did you?"

"Fair enough." The green ranger frowned suddenly. "Wait, it can't be enceph– brain repair that's going on in my head."

"Why not?"

"Because if that's true, why am I getting _worse_ instead of better?" asked Tommy angrily. "Why is Karone locked away in a padded room on the outskirts of the city if she's going through the same thing?"

"**Exactly,"** said Tom as he glared at Andros. **"Explain that one."**

Andros rubbed his hands over his face in frustration. "Maybe… maybe because there's nothing to repair…"

Andros stood suddenly. "If the link were just damaged or-or not functioning properly, that would be one thing. But your mind is trying to repair something that's not actually there. That's _impossible_." He turned to Tommy. "The voices, the dreams, they'll only stop when your mind is fixed, but that's never going to happen.

His eyes lit up. "_That's_ why it's getting worse."

Tom remained quiet during Andros' explanation, though his glare never let up. If anything, it only seemed to have intensified.

Tommy watched a smile cross Andros' face, and he knew the younger teen was happy to finally figure out the mystery of what happened to his sister. The green ranger rose to his feet, snapping his fingers in Andros' face.

"Hey! Focus," said Tommy. "It's _really_ great you figured out what's going on, but how the hell does that help? You basically told me I'm going to lose my mind, regardless of what I do."

Andros looked at him. "There _may_ be a way to fix this… to restore that link." A pregnant pause followed.

"**This guy is unbelievable,"** said Tom. **"Lord Zedd made you who you are. Why would he ever reverse that? Why would you want him to?"**

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "_Zedd_? He's not going to go for that. He took it away in order to _make_ me his ranger. I'm no use to him with my guilt back."

"Then kill him," said Andros seriously. "He took it away using his powers, his magic; destroying him reverses everything he's ever done."

"**He's setting you up,"** murmured Tom. **"Getting you to do his dirty work in order to further his own agenda."**

"Have you lost your mind?" asked Tommy incredulously. "I can't kill him; I won't, not after everything he's done for me."

"He's the reason you're going crazy."

"**A small price to pay for all you've accomplished. You've done too much to let it go now."**

"He's the reason I'm powerful," hissed Tommy. "You said it yourself… there are no humans in high positions in his empire. I worked too hard for this to give it up, and I'm too close to having my revenge to end it now."

"Revenge?" asked Andros. "Against who?"

"That piece of shit Jason," spat Tommy angrily.

"**Yes, Jason… who you still need to destroy.**_** Remember**_** that, Tommy. Remember what he did to you. Think of what he's doing now…"**

"Who's Jason?"

"He's the bastard that–" He stopped, waving a hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter. I'm not going to kill Lord Zedd, and even if I wanted to, he's powerful as fuck. It can't be done."

"It _can_ be done, you're just scared," pressed Andros. "You're close to him, he trusts you. You can use that to your advantage."

"**The emperor is too powerful for anyone to kill,"** said Tom with a surge of pride.

"I'm scared with good reason; I'm no match for him." Tommy shook his head.

"Well, what good are you if you're insane, Tommy?" asked Andros using his name for the first time. "Can't imagine you being too effective when you're mentally unstable."

Tommy glared at him. "You're just saying that because you want to get rid of Lord Zedd."

"**Yes, exactly… he's using you. Trying to turn you against the man who helped you more than anyone else."**

"Not that the thought hadn't crossed my mind, but no. I'm saying it because I believe it's the truth. Getting rid of Zedd might be the only thing to save you."

"Not to mention KO-35 and Karone," pointed out the green ranger. The slight tick in Andros' jaw let Tommy know he was right on the money.

Andros pressed on nonetheless. "Think, Tommy, what's more important. Your sanity or your power?"

"**Power,"** Tom answered immediately.

"It's not that simple. I don't have a choice, Andros," said Tommy. "Not if I want to see things through."

"There's _always_ a choice." The rebel leader looked at him in disgust. "You want your revenge that badly or are you just that much of a coward?"

"**Why haven't you killed him yet?"**

The green ranger turned from him at that biting remark, angrily pacing the floor. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his black flask, taking a swig of _Daem_ to calm his nerves.

"What is that?" asked Andros abruptly.

"What's what?"

"That," said Andros as he pointed at the flask. "What are you drinking?"

"_Daem_… why?"

All Tommy saw was a blur, and he realized too late that Andros was snatching the flask away from him and throwing it against a wall. The container broke apart upon impact, trails of _Daem _dripping down the wall.

"What the hell? That shit's expensive!"

Andros whirled on him angrily. "You've been drinking _Daem_? Do you have any idea what that stuff does to you?"

"Takes the edge off," said Tommy nastily. "Which, thanks to you, I can't _do_ anymore."

Andros shook his head. "When did you start drinking that?"

"When I got out here. What's the prob–"

"How often?" cut in Andros.

Tommy shrugged. "I don't know."

"Then _try_ and _remember_," ground out the long-haired teen.

The green ranger sighed. "A couple times a week, maybe? Three or four shots at a time. Why does this matter?" he asked in exasperation.

"It _matters_ because the last thing you need if you're losing your mind is a depressant, especially one as strong as _Daem_." Andros looked at him with renewed interest. "How bad were you when you got here?"

Tommy tried to remember. "I just heard voices in my head. They didn't… I don't think they had names yet."

"And there were no dreams then? No hallucinations?" Tommy shook his head. "Tommy, you've managed to achieve in nearly three weeks what took Karone over a year."

"What?" asked the startled green ranger.

Andros ran his hands through his hair. "Karone served as Astronema for two years, the second of which she spent losing her mind."

"H-How do you know this? You weren't even around when she was Astronema. It could've taken her three weeks, too. You don't–"

"Scorpina told me." Tommy's eyes widened. "I know she's been visiting my sister; she's the one that spared her life once KO-35 was taken. I tracked her down when I saw what happened to Karone in order to kill her and she explained everything. I read her mind to make sure she was telling the truth; she was."

Andros gave Tommy a sympathetic look. "You're regressing much faster than my sister. Whatever the reason, I know the _Daem_ doesn't help. You can't control your thoughts when you're under its influence, which isn't good given the circumstances; you need to stop it _now_."

Tommy looked over at Tom, only to find the man was gone. The teen sank slowly into a nearby chair, wringing his hands nervously as he digested this new damning information. "How long do you think I have?"

"I have no idea, Tommy. I'm sorry I can't be of more help before my departure."

The green ranger shot him a look of confusion before noticing the traveling bags on the other side of the room piled into a corner. It was then that Tommy realized the outfit Andros was wearing; a silver uniform with a solid red shirt underneath and combat boots.

"You're wearing red," said Tommy with understanding. "It was my understanding that you were inactive."

"As far as I know, that's still true," said Andros. "The Elders of Eltar have requested my presence. For what, I can't say."

"Can't or won't?" asked the older teen.

Andros gazed coolly at him. "Either."

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose to ward off a migraine. "What the hell am I supposed to do, Andros?"

"I told you what you need to do."

"And I told you why I can't," said Tommy fiercely.

"Can't or won't?" Tommy glared at having his words thrown back in his face.

Andros appeared to be internally debating something for several seconds before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a small metal coin. "Give me your hand."

"**Give it to him."** It was T.

The green ranger eyed him warily before complying. Andros placed the coin in his bandaged palm before clasping Tommy's hand in his, closing his eyes until a flash of light appeared between their hands. Andros released him, and Tommy stared at the glowing coin until it returned to its normal color.

"If you decide to do the smart thing and save yourself, I'm more than willing to help you. I won't pretend to think we're friends, but what we want can be achieved by working together. Use that coin to contact me… or not. Your choice."

Tommy watched in silence as Andros moved to collect his bags, one in each hand before pressing a button along the wall, causing a nearby bookcase to part in the shape of a doorway.

"Do me a favor?" requested Andros. "Every time you dream or hear a voice and find yourself that much closer to insanity, ask yourself if your allegiance to Zedd - or rather your _fear_ of him - is worth it."

The green ranger said nothing as Andros left him to his thoughts.

"Fuck."

T gave a short laugh. **"Couldn't have summed it up better myself."**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note: **My move is almost over! Managed to get this chapter done in the process. It's pretty lengthy, so I hope this tides you guys over. I'm writing in the spare time that I have, so please bare with me. And if you haven't yet, please read "Reassurance." It's a much lighter one-shot that you might enjoy. _

_Hope you guys like this one! And a special thanks to my wonderful beta who puts up with all my nonsense. You're awesome!_

* * *

**Serpentera**

**Commander Oliver's Quarters**

**Between Kalderon and Aquitar**

**Local time, Unknown**

Behind the metal door of Tommy's quarters, heavy shuffling could be heard, followed by incoherent mumbling.

"**All right, look… you just need to calm down."**

Tommy glared hatefully at T. "Calm _down_? Did you not hear what he fucking said?"

Tom rolled his eyes. **"Of course we heard; we're not deaf." **He crossed his legs as he reclined on the couch. **"You should know it's complete bullshit."**

The green ranger pressed his hands against his head. "This can't be happening… what the fuck am I gonna do…?"

T snorted. **"Now you're pacing? Jesus. Well, I'm just gonna chill here while you lose it."**

"Don't _say_ that!" roared Tommy.

Both versions of him froze, exchanging unreadable glances before averting their gazes.

Tommy took a deep breath. "Okay, Tommy, just think this through. Maybe… maybe Andros was lying," he mumbled to himself.

"**Are you kidding me?"** T asked, aggravated. **"You think your nightmares are normal?" **He pointed between himself and Tom. **"You think **_**we're**_** normal?"**

Tom said nothing, choosing instead to pull out a cigarette as he planted his feet on the coffee table.

"**You **_**know**_** Andros was right," **the younger boy said.

Tommy gritted his teeth in annoyance, hands running over his hair anxiously as he continued to pace.

T walked over to him. **"You're losing your fucking mind, Tommy."** The green ranger stopped and placed his hands on his hips. He could see the cigarette dangling loosely from Tom's lips from the corner of his eyes.

"**You need to do what Andros said and fix this. Lord Zedd has gone too far this time,"** hissed T. The crackle from the flame of Tom's lighter rang loudly in Tommy's ear as the end of the stick glowed orange.

"**He's going to do to you what he did to Karone. You need to stop him!" **

Tom took a slow drag of his cigarette, green eyes shutting close as he blew out a series of smoke rings. The calmness in the older man's demeanor caused something to snap inside the Ranger, and Tommy angrily stormed over to him, gripping the edge of the coffee table before flipping it over.

"_Stop being so fucking calm!_" he yelled.

Tom jerked back in surprise, coughing slightly. **"What the hell is your problem, boy?"**

"My _problem_ is that I was just told I'm losing my mind and you're fucking _smoking_ like everything's okay!"

The admiral's eyes narrowed before he took another drag, blowing the smoke out through his nose. **"You're overreacting."**

"**Shut the fuck up, Tom. You know he's not. Zedd's trying to put him in the crazy house, just like Karone."**

It was Tom's turn to stand now.

"**Come on, Tommy. Are you honestly this stupid?" **He sighed in exasperation.** "You are one of the emperor's top generals. You are too valuable and too damn good at what you do for him to lose." **The admiral circled the teen slowly. **"Think about it, Tommy… what would he gain if you lost your mind hmm? Nothing. He loses a commander, a fighter… this is just another trick of Andros'. Goldar warned you about this."**

"**Andros has no reason to lie about this,"** argued T.

"**Andros has **_**every **_**reason to lie. He wants the emperor dead and gone, and who better to do the dirty work than one of the people closest to him. That's Strategy 101," **snarled Tom before he turned his attention back to Tommy. **"Andros thinks you're nothing but Zedd's puppet. You think he told you this shit to help you? He's not trying to cut the strings, only change the master. Don't fall for it; you're smarter than this."**

Tommy swallowed thickly, wanting desperately to believe Tom but hesitant to do so. "But what about Scorpina? She told me what happened to Karone and it was proven true when we saw her. Everything she said happened to Karone is happening to me. _She_ has no reason to lie."

T crossed his arms with a smug expression, waiting for Tom to counter this argument.

Tom took another drag of his cigarette. **"You are not Karone. Karone was weak, just like her brother,"** Tom spit out in disgust. A strong hand clasped Tommy's shoulder. **"You have led armies to victory, negotiated treaties with the highest of councils… undoubtedly the stress would get to someone so young, but you can handle this. That is why Lord Zedd picked you."**

"_**Blackmailed**_** you,"** corrected T, much to the admiral's annoyance. **"Let's not forget that he blackmailed you into this."**

Tom harshly blew a stream of smoke into the young boy's face, causing him to sputter.

"**The point,"** said the admiral slowly, **"is that you are important to the emperor. This may have started out as a way to avoid dying, but in the end you have benefited greatly from this. You have power, you have wealth."** He moved closer to Tommy, so close that the teen could feel the heat radiating from his body. **"And if you stop acting like a fucking child every time you **_**think**_** something is wrong, you will have your revenge. Or did what Jason did to you slip your mind?"**

Tommy flinched when his stomach twisted violently at Jason's name.

"**You wanna play the blame game? Then put it on the right person. Lord Zedd may not have given you shit for a choice, but Jason gave you nothing. That bastard left you with Goldar – to die in the dark cells on the Lunar Palace where no one would know. Lord Zedd could have killed you. Instead, he gave you what you wanted most of all."** Tom's eyes narrowed. **"Remember that."**

Tommy began to feel unnaturally hot under the older man's gaze, and the room around them felt as if it were getting smaller. He closed his eyes, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"Wh-What about the dreams? The hallucinations?" The green ranger licked his lips, voice hoarse with desperation.

Tom didn't even blink. **"The road to power is never without loss, Tommy. Some people lose lives; some people lose… other things. You're one of the latter."**

The tight feeling in Tommy's gut became unbearable the more the admiral talked, as if his body was trying to physically reject the man's words.

"**Think about some of the most powerful men in history. You think Napoleon always got a decent night's sleep? You think Stalin wasn't losing it behind closed doors?"** He turned his back on Tommy, taking another drag before putting out the cigarette**. "To be great requires will and self-control that a normal man doesn't possess. It takes its toll, and only those who truly deserve it can handle it."**

Tom faced the green ranger. **"Karone was given a taste of power, and like the weakling she is, she caved to it."** He placed his hands on Tommy's shoulders. **"This is nothing but a test, Tommy. Stick it out and you will have all the power. Once you have that, you will have your revenge."**

Tommy had hoped that hearing those words would quell that uncomfortable tightness he felt in his stomach… the same pain he felt when he thought of Kimberly and their baby back on Earth, when he saw his mother crying over him so long ago.

A squeeze to his shoulder forced him to look at Tom, who was searching him with questioning eyes.

"**Tommy?"**

T stood behind Tom with a frown on his face, arms crossed tightly as he watched the two. The younger teen shook his head softly, expression a mixture of sad, disappointed and angry.

The green ranger's gaze flicked between the two versions of himself rapidly. He wanted to believe Tom. More than anything, Tommy wanted what the man said to be true so that the pain in his stomach could stop. But instead of dying down after hearing what Tommy would normally consider Tom's flawless logic, the tension seemed to grow, radiating outward from his stomach to every inch of his body. He could feel nausea settling in as he realized that the feeling was never going to go away.

Something was different.

He connected eyes with T for a few seconds, stomach contracting almost painfully as thoughts of his mother and Kim and the baby flooded his mind. And Karone… seeing her in that ward, completely out of her mind…

Tommy didn't think anything Tom could say could make him forget that.

A loud knock on the door startled him, and he nearly bit his tongue from the shock.

"Commander Oliver?" It was Anebris.

"Yes?" he called out as he made his way to the door. Tommy could hear the tremor in his voice.

Soft clicks were heard through the door. "The emperor has received word from the leaders of the KAX Union. The leaders of KAX wish to meet with the emperor and Commander Oliver tomorrow morning to discuss the decision about Earth."

Tommy felt a throbbing pain grow beneath his skull, and he pinched the bridge of his nose to lessen the intensity. "Tell Lord Zedd I'll be there. Wake me up an hour before we depart."

More clicks followed by soft shuffling were all he heard in response as the creature left. Tommy pressed his forehead against the door, letting the cool metal soothe his heated skin.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed off the door, turning around to find that both Tom and T were no longer in the room. Aside from the faint smell of smoke and tobacco, it was as if neither had ever been there. The green ranger ran a hand over his face as the silence became deafening. Without the bickering between Tom and T, there was nothing to prevent the teen from recounting recent events.

The meetings with Andros… the talk with Scorpina… Goddamned _Karone_…

His throat burned as he thought back on the young girl and the intense fear on her face from the paranoia she suffered. The thought that it could be him locked away in the ward make him want to throw up as he stumbled to his bed.

'_Remember what Tom said. Karone was weak – you're different. This has to happen for things to be right.'_

Before he slipped into unconsciousness, Tommy couldn't help but think how Tom's words were becoming less and less believable the more he wished them to be true.

* * *

_**Eknit Kai**_

**Kalderon**

**Next day**

**Local time, Late Morning**

Calloused hands played idly with the collar of his black military jacket as Tommy sat in his chair in the _Eknit Kai_. The leaders of KAX Union were due to arrive at any moment to give their verdict on the treaty between the KAX Union and the Dark Empire.

Beside him sat Lord Zedd, whose long nails tapped rhythmically against the stone table. The emperor sat rigidly, back erect as he held his Z staff tightly in his other hand.

"Sit up straight and fix your collar," he hissed at the green ranger. "If you're trying to convince them you're a soldier, you need to look and play the part."

Tommy shifted in his chair, mimicking the older man's posture before fiddling with his jacket collar. He cleared his throat awkwardly as he clasped his hands together on the table tightly.

Why the hell was it so hot in here?

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up when he felt a cool gaze upon him from across the room. The teen knew without looking that it was Elder Gali. He glanced in the Eltarian's direction, surprised when he saw that the man was looking at him not with contempt, but with a guarded curiosity. Tommy quickly averted his gaze when their eyes connected.

The large double doors of the building flew open suddenly, and the same slim messenger from before made his way into the room to stand before them.

"Please rise for the arrival of the Council of the Union of Kalderon, Aquitar and Xybria."

Tommy rose to his feet as the council members filtered in, their long robes brushing softly against the stone floor. Each took a seat at the high table, their eyes sweeping the room.

"You may sit," said one of the Xybrians softly.

As Tommy took his seat next Zedd, his eyes grew wide when he noticed T on the floor at the foot of the table. The boy had his headphones around his neck, body stretched out fully as he stared up at the ceiling whistling Row, Row, Row Your Boat. The low register and slow rhythm gave the song an almost eerie quality. Tom sat beside him, lighting a cigarette and calmly blowing smoke into the air.

One of the female Aquitians shook a bell. "We will begin our meeting now."

Tom stood up, stretching briefly before walking over and taking a seat in the stone chair at Tommy's side. T remained in his position, though his focus shifted from whistling to playing with the strings from his hoodie.

"After careful consideration and a thorough discussion of the impact of a treaty with the Dark Empire, the Council has reached a decision." The woman cleared her throat gently. "We have drafted our own treaty which combines elements of the original transcript along with points made in the debate. Alythi, would you please present Elder Gali and Lord Zedd with a copy?"

The thin green man grabbed two large scrolls from the high table, presenting one to each party. Lord Zedd unraveled the scroll so Tommy could read it as well.

"As stated in the modified treaty, we will not provide the Dark Empire with our resources. We are a peaceful alliance and wish to stay out of territorial disputes. As we cannot guarantee our resources will not be used for war, we will prohibit their use completely." Tommy could feel Gali smirking in his direction.

"Furthermore," continued the Aquitian, "access to our resources will also be restricted from the Eltarian Empire."

"_What_?" hissed Gali.

"Earth belongs to neither Eltar nor the Dark Empire. It is a free territory and therefore falls out of your jurisdiction. Any and all activity done by your empire on Earth is just as illegal and unsolicited as that of the Dark Empire by the word of Intergalactic Law." Her eyes narrowed. "As Carlos Norris pointed out at the previous meeting, the dangers the humans face come as a direct result of your son's inhabitance on the planet and the formation of his Power Rangers team. We have no assurance that providing your empire with access to our resources will not also result in further harm to the planet."

The green ranger chanced a glance at the emperor beside him. His body seemed to hum with energy, but he gave no outward sign of happiness or anger over the terms of the new treaty. That made Tommy anxious.

"The KAX Union will remain neutral to both parties throughout the duration of the invasion of Earth." She clasped her hands together tightly. "We will now open the floor for questions and proposals."

Barely restrained whispers came from the Eltarians, and Tommy could see several of them gesturing wildly as they spoke to Gali. From the outrage in the Head Elder's eyes, the green ranger knew that the Eltarians were not expecting to be cut off from KAX resources as well.

"**Looks like things worked out for you."**

Tommy's attention turned to T who as now sitting up looking at him. Thinly veiled disgust was in the boy's eyes.

"**Once again, Tommy gets in good with the boss."** He rolled his eyes. **"What better way to repay the man who took over your life and is now pushing you to the edge of sanity?"**

Tom inhaled deeply to Tommy's right before blowing out a stream of smoke. **"Ignore him."** The admiral received a raised middle finger in response.

"What do you think, Thomas?"

The rough quality of the emperor's tone startled the green ranger, and he turned in his seat to meet the man's gaze.

"I'm sorry?"

Lord Zedd paused before responding, and Tommy got the distinct impression that the emperor was studying him. The hairs on the back of his neck and arms rose.

"This treaty. What do you think?"

The teen furrowed his brows. "It isn't my place to say. It's your empire, master. I would think your opinion matters more than mine."

"It does," agreed Lord Zedd. "But I am not asking you because I feel your opinion matters. I simply wish to hear what you think."

Tom shuffled in the seat beside him, taking a deep drag of his cigarette before tossing it to the ground and putting it out with a well-shined boot. **"Answer carefully, Tommy. He's testing you."**

Tommy swallowed thickly before clearing his throat. He wished he could see behind the emperor's visor' not knowing Zedd's true expression behind the cold metal did nothing to calm his nerves. T was still watching him from afar with hard eyes.

"You came here to establish an alliance with the leaders of the KAX Unions, to ensure that your empire would have the needed supplies to invade Earth." Tommy tugged uncomfortably at his collar; it was so damn _hot_ in the room.

"With the Eltarians here, the chances of having that treaty were nonexistent; we both knew that. And even though this modified treaty still doesn't give you what you want, it's still better than what was expected, right?" When the emperor said nothing, the green ranger pressed on. "Honestly, I thought we were pretty fucked from the beginning. KAX and Eltar have a long history, not to mention there's a ranger team here. We don't have the supplies, which sucks… but they don't either. KAX is staying out of this. We can still take Earth from Eltar without their supplies. It'll be rough, but we can manage since now we know they're in the same position as us."

Lord Zedd's nails tapped rhythmically against the stone table. "For some reason, Thomas, I can't tell if you're giving an honest opinion about the treaty or trying to defend your negotiating skills in light of this outcome."

The green ranger blinked slowly before shifting in his seat, unsure of the answer to that himself. "I'm just saying I'd say take the deal. We can alter the strategy for the invasion later. I don't think we're gonna get anything better than this."

Tommy studied the emperor, each tap of the man's nails like a tiny hammer slamming into the teen's chest. He wished yet again to be able to see the man's true facial expressions – the lack of reaction was more unnerving than anything.

Lord Zedd paused in his tapping, causing sweat to gather in the green ranger's palms. "I'll sign the treaty," he said loudly, ending the chatter from the Eltarians across the room. "But only if Gali agrees to do the same."

The green ranger let out a rush of air from his lungs, temporarily lightheaded from how long he had unknowingly held his breath. A sharp slap on the back followed by a firm squeeze on his shoulder from Tom jostled him, and a small smile made its way across his lips. The sound of rapid footsteps and muffled cursing caught his attention, and he turned to see T storming out of the building.

"**Forget him,"** said Tom in disgust. **"He's too young to understand what's going on."**

The green ranger said nothing in response, focusing on the arguing Eltarians instead of the way his stomach dropped at T's exit.

Elder Gali and the rest of the Elders of Eltar continued bickering for several minutes before coming to a decision. Their leader turned towards Lord Zedd, briskly walking over with a stern expression.

"The Elders of Eltar will sign the treaty in conjunction with Lord Zedd."

"And you will honor it?"

Gali smiled thinly. "On my son's life."

Zedd's visor burned red. "After you."

As the two men approached the leaders of KAX to sign the official treaty, Tommy couldn't help but feel that this treaty was going to cause more problems than it could potentially solve. Tom sat beside him, expression smug as the emperor signed the treaty after Gali. But the green ranger felt no real satisfaction from this; he was still waiting for T to come back.

* * *

_Sandra Oliver's Residence_

_Angel Grove, CA_

_Sunday, 2:04 PM_

"_You know… it's not too late to turn back."_

_Kimberly rolled her eyes before shifting her purse to her other shoulder. "They're your parents, Tommy… not the executioners."_

_The taller teen scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I'm just saying… we have options."_

_The oak door swung open suddenly, revealing a bright-eyed Sandra Oliver. Her thick hair hung loosely around her shoulders, contrasting starkly with her thin white blouse._

"Pákash_," she cooed softly, pinching Tommy's cheeks. _

_Tommy resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Mom, I'm not a mouse."_

_Sandra glared. "I gave birth to you… I can call you whatever I want." She turned to Kim with a warm smile. "Hello, Kimberly," she said softly before pressing a kiss against the young girl's cheek. Kim grinned at Sandra before heading inside, leaving Tommy standing awkwardly on the porch._

_Nervously, he ran his fingers through his hair, pausing in shock to find that his hair was long again, slipping past his shoulders. Tommy blinked rapidly in confusion before making his way inside his house._

"_Mom, what –" He paused when he caught sight of himself in the mirror in the foyer. "What the fuck?"_

_Staring back at him was himself, though older than he remembered. His loose-fit denim jeans hung low on his hips, and the button-down white shirt he wore was rolled up along the sleeves. His hair was curly and long – longer than it had ever been – and he seemed bigger, more muscled than he knew he was._

_A pinch to his side caused him to wince. "Thomas, what have I told you about cursing?" his mother hissed angrily as she closed the door behind him._

'Do it when Dad's not watching.'

_Tommy warily watched her leave before turning back to look in the mirror. The ugly scar Goldar gave him was gone. He undid the top buttons of his shirt, pushing it off his shoulders to see any bruises or scars, only to find none. Tommy checked his hands in wonder, confused to see them free of the many callouses he knew should be there._

_What he did notice was the silver band around his left ring finger, a wedding ring._

His_ wedding ring._

'What the fuck is going on?'

"_Still vain after all these years? Should've known you didn't completely change," said a strong voice from behind him. A large hand clapped Tommy on the back, instantly causing the green ranger's body to tense up. "You really need to get that fixed, bro, or else your twin will pick up those bad habits."_

_Tommy turned to see Jason smiling at him widely. He looked slightly older, hair shorter than the teen remembered and definitely more buff._

"_My twin?"_

_Before Jason could respond, Tommy caught sight of a green blur heading towards him. He grunted at the sudden impact of thirty pounds of barely-contained energy into his legs._

"_Daddy, go up?"_

_The green ranger's pulse quickened when he heard the request, and he felt his chest tighten when he looked down at the smiling face of a little boy._

_A little boy who looked exactly like him._

_Jason crossed his arms over his chest while chuckling. "The little man has been talking nonstop about when his dad was coming. You'd think you were a superhero or something."_

_Tommy reached out a shaking hand, running it through the tuft of curls on his son's head as the boy tugged impatiently on his jeans. He caught sight of the communicator on his wrist, glancing up at Jason to catch the younger man's wink._

"_I need to head out to the garage and do some work on my bike," said the red ranger with a wide grin as he watched the child bounce anxiously at his father's feet. "I'm sure you two have loads to catch up on." Tommy didn't even bother to watch him leave, eyes fixed on the toddler before him._

_Awkwardly, Tommy reached down, tucking his hands under his son's arms and lifting him off the ground. The boy's legs wrapped around the green ranger's midsection naturally, and Tommy shifted his body to support the talkative toddler._

"…_Mommy said you have a surprise for me. Did you get me the 'mote control car I wanted? And can we watch a movie after we eat? Grandpa got me something cool and I wanna show you and Mommy. And Uncle Jason said…" _

_Tommy stared blankly as the little boy talked a mile a minute, eyes searching as he tried to wrap his mind around what he was seeing. He looked exactly like Tommy at that age, except significantly less moody and definitely not introverted._

'That must be the part of him that's all Kimberly.'

_The green ranger grabbed the boy's hand, studying it as it rested against his much larger one. His hand then moved to the boy's hair, fingers smoothing out the wild curls before trailing down over his face. The little boy stopped speaking, eyes narrowed as he tried to figure out what his father was doing. When Tommy's finger pushed against his nose, he scrunched his face up in annoyance._

_The boy pulled back with a huff, arms crossed over his chest. "Daddy, are you listening to me?"_

_Tommy couldn't help but grin at his son's pout. "Nope."_

_A look of mild outrage flashed over his face before he began to squirm, and Tommy gently lowered his son back to the ground. As the child turned to stalk away, the green ranger grabbed the back of his shirt, tugging the boy towards him._

"_Where are you going?"_

"_To Mommy. _She_ listens to me," he said irritably._

"_I'll listen to you, okay? I just…" Tommy swallowed thickly. "Come here."_

_Confusion crossed the child's features as he watched his father get down on the floor and sit. "Am I in trouble?"_

_A strained chuckle escaped the green ranger. "No, you're not in trouble. I just wanna look at you."_

_It was obvious his son had no idea what was going on, and neither did Tommy truthfully, but the child complied nonetheless. He didn't say a thing when Tommy pulled him closer into a tight hug, automatically wrapping his smaller arms around his father's neck. _

_The rational part of Tommy knew that he was imagining things. That this was yet another dream or hallucination from his fucked up mind, but that didn't make it feel any less real. Up until now, the notion of being a father was something he couldn't quite grasp. He understood that it was life-changing and even admittedly felt those small tugs of longing to see his son or daughter every now and then. But now that he was holding onto his child, able to actually hear them and see them? _

_It felt all too real._

_Tommy pulled back, hands moving to cup his son's face._

"_Are you okay?" asked the child._

"_Yeah," he rasped. "Anyone ever tell you that you look just like me?"_

_The boy nodded enthusiastically. "Yup. Grandma and Grandpa tell me all the time. They showed me pictures and I thought they were of me but it was you."_

_Tommy grinned. "Yeah. You look just like me when I was little."_

_The child smiled. "Grandma said you were three in those pictures, just like me."_

_The green ranger ran a hand over his son's head. "I think you're a little bit shorter than I was, though." He smirked, voice dropping to a whisper. "That's your Mommy's fault."_

_The small giggles that erupted from the child brought a smile to Tommy's face. "Don't let Mommy hear you say that."_

"_Don't let Mommy hear what?" asked Kim who appeared next to them suddenly._

_The two looked at each other guiltily before turning to face her. "Nothing."_

_Kim raised an eyebrow. "Right. Well, if it's really nothing, I'm sure you won't mind going to pick up your toys in the living room."_

_Her son opened his mouth to protest, but seeing the glare on his mother's face, his mouth snapped closed. "Yes, Mommy," he said sulkily before dragging his feet to do as she told._

"_What have I told you about corrupting our baby?" she asked Tommy with a frown._

_The green ranger barely heard her, eyes still focused on the little boy walking away from him. "He's beautiful, Kim."_

_Any annoyance she may have felt with him melted with those words. A lazy grin crossed her features. "We did a good job."_

_The green ranger pushed himself off the floor, rising to his full height and stretching. Thin arms found their way around him as Kim nuzzled her face into his chest._

"_Have I told you how sexy you look in white?"_

_He laughed softly. "Not sure, but I don't see anything wrong with reminding me." His hands strayed to rest at the curve of her hips._

_Kim pulled back from him, trailing her fingers up his chest to toy with the buttons. "Might wanna be careful with that hand, Oliver… that's how we got your twin."_

_Tommy grinned, grabbing at her hand and playing with her fingers. Her communicator shined brightly against her wrist, traces of pink across the face of the alien device. His eyes trailed upwards to the slender ring around her finger, a pink diamond looking back at him._

'Shit… we really are married.'

_He ran his finger over the diamond, a question burning at the edge of his mind. "How did this happen?" he whispered aloud to himself._

_Kim blinked. "What?"_

_Tommy flushed at being overheard and awkwardly cleared his throat. 'She would know, wouldn't she? Not that it matters since it's a dream but still…'_

"_My proposal to you, us getting together, everything… how did we happen?"_

_The pink ranger raised an eyebrow. "I hope this isn't your way of testing me because we both know which of us has the shitty memory…"_

"_Kim," he interrupted softly. "Tell me how."_

_She glanced up at her husband warily before focusing on their entwined fingers._

"_After you were… taken by Rita, Jase and I got into more arguments. I think you being kidnapped made both of us see that my feelings for you were stronger than what I had with him. He and I broke up, and I know it killed him to save the guy his girlfriend was leaving him for, but Jason always does what's right."_

_Tommy subconsciously gripped her tighter to him, remembering all too well what really happened._

"_When you came back, we both finally decided to stop playing games and get serious about each other. It was awkward at first with Jason and the others, but it was worth it in the end. And even with the surprise pregnancy – God, I was so scared you were going to leave me."_

"_But I didn't." His mouth felt dry._

_She scoffed. "Of course not. You're kind of a jerk, but I know you, Tommy. When it came down to it, you put us first. You put him first."_

_Kimberly squeezed their fingers together. "You proposed to me while I was in labor," she said with a laugh. "It was typical you – ask me something at possibly the most inconvenient time so that I'd be too distracted to say no. Imagine everyone's surprise when we announced we were officially parents and engaged. Your poor mother almost fainted she was so happy."_

_Tommy could imagine the look on Sandra's face. She had always wanted him to get married._

"_Why'd you wanna know all that? Memory slipping again in your old age?" she teased._

_A feeling Tommy couldn't recognized filled his chest suddenly as he looked down at her. "I –" He paused, not sure how to articulate what he was feeling._

_She looked at him with curious eyes. "You….?"_

_Before Tommy could speak, a loud crash from outside interrupted him. An exasperated Sandra came through the kitchen door that led to the garage._

"_That boy is going to kill himself on that damn motorcycle," she hissed._

_Kim pulled away from Tommy with a roll of her eyes, leaving Tommy feeling very cold. "Again? You'd think Jase would've learned his lesson by now."_

_Sandra sighed heavily. "He almost crashed into my car but managed to hit one of the shelves in the garage instead. He needs to put that contraption away."_

"_He needs to burn it," grumbled the pink ranger. "Did he make a big mess?"_

"_I don't know," said Sandra wearily. "I left before I could see the full extent of the damage."_

"_I'll go check on him," said the petite brunette, only to stop when Tommy grabbed her shoulder._

"I'll do it. I need to get out of the house for a bit anyway." Tommy couldn't handle the sudden influx of emotions from being in his mother's house. Being near his son, near Kimberly… it was seriously fucking with his head.

_In a rush, he headed for the door, exiting swiftly and resting against the closed door as he breathed deeply. _

"_What the fuck is going on?" he whispered._

_His dreams as of late were scary as shit, and that was saying something given the things he saw and did on a near daily basis._

_But this? This was a serious mind-fuck. He could handle watching people die; he could even handle experiencing his own death. But this emotional bondage bullshit was a whole other level of fucked up as far as he was concerned. Not only was he happy with Kim, but they were married and rangers. He was still friends with Jason. His child was alive and well; he knew Tommy, loved him even._

_Everything Tommy could've wanted before being Zedd's ranger was being handed to him on a silver platter. It was too easy, too perfect._

_His eyes narrowed dangerously. "T!" he yelled suddenly._

'_This whole dream would be something that annoying little shit would make up.'_

"_Where the _fuck_ are you, T?"_

_A loud clang to his right caught his attention. "You know, people are gonna start thinking you've lost it if they hear you screaming for yourself." Jason stood off to the side, a bemused expression on his face as he watched the green ranger. "You all right, T?"_

_The green ranger clenched his fist painfully, knuckles turning white. He scanned the area quickly, desperately searching for a sign of his younger self or even Tom but was only met with the empty street of the neighborhood._

"_Tom?"_

_He flinched at the nickname, bile rising in his throat. "Yeah, I'm good. I just…" He had no logical explanation, so he decided to redirect the conversation. "Mom said you crashed your bike in the garage. Need some help with that?"_

_The red ranger rolled his eyes. "Your mom exaggerated, I'm sure. It's not that bad."_

_Tommy crossed the small distance to the garage, hardly surprised to see that it wasn't as bad as his mom made it out to be. The Harley lay on its side on the ground, its front wheel turned at an odd angle. A shelf lay on top of it surrounded by several cans of paint and other objects on the ground. A large dent was in the wall._

"_Help me put this shelf up?" the red ranger asked._

_Tommy nodded, quietly moving to help him. The two worked in silence, and Tommy realized it was mainly his fault. He spent so long hating Jason for being with Kimberly, for screwing him over and leaving him to die, that he didn't know how to handle being around this Jason. A Jason who apparently understood the meaning of friendship and saved him; who understood the complicated, unspoken relationship he had with Kim; who was still a part of his life. This Jason didn't look at Tommy with anger or hatred; they were teammates, friends._

_He hadn't experienced that in a long time._

"_You all right?" asked Jason. He was watching Tommy carefully as he put up the last few cans of paint._

"_Yeah. I'm okay."_

"_You sure, bro? You look like you're about to throw up." He shook Tommy slightly. "Is something wrong with Kim?" His voice was laced with nothing but concern and the green ranger found that more off-putting than anything else._

_Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Doesn't this bother you?" he asked abruptly._

_Jason raised an eyebrow. "It's just paint, Tommy. I mean I'm a little annoyed that some of it got on my bike but my warranty is st-"_

"_Me and Kim," interrupted the older man. "Doesn't our relationship – our family – none of that bothers you?" The red ranger's eyes softened as Tommy continued. "My son calls you uncle, Jason. He could be yours. Why the hell aren't you upset?"_

_The red ranger released a heavy sigh. "We talked about this years ago, T…"_

"_Then explain it to me again," said Tommy harshly._

_Jason ran his hands over his face. "Tommy, I don't know what you want me to say. You want me to be angry? To hate you and Kim and my godson? I don't." His hands dropped to his hips. "Kim and I were over in high school the minute you introduced yourself after the expo; I just didn't wanna see it. Did it hurt when you two started dating? Hell yeah, but I moved on." A smile graced his lips. "I'm happy for you. Honest."_

_The stinging in Tommy's eyes was becoming unbearable, and he blinked rapidly to fight it back. The green ranger focused on setting up the motorcycle, releasing the kickstand so that it sat up properly. Mentally, however, his thoughts were moving a mile a minute. He had always wondered what it would be like if Jason had rescued him – if the red ranger had done the right thing instead of being the selfish prick that the real Jason turned out to be._

_Now that he was basically living it, Tommy couldn't tell which was worse – knowing how things could've been or knowing how things actually were._

_He could be with Kim now, with their baby. He could still be friends with Jason and Trini and Billy and even that douchebag Zack. Tommy could've been a power ranger if things had gone how they should._

'But things didn't go that way. I'm happy now, right? I have the power, the resources – I can do whatever the fuck I want.'

_That thought was becoming less and less filling._

"_Is something going on, T? You haven't asked me that since the end of the invasion." Tommy's eyes widened._

'The end of the invasion?'

"_I thought when we finally defeated Lord Zedd, we agreed that we would leave the past in the past." The red ranger narrowed his eyes. "This isn't because of what Kim said, is it?"_

_Tommy blinked. "What?"_

_Jason let out an irritated sigh. "I've told her a million times that I'm fine. Just because I'm not seriously dating anyone at the moment doesn't mean I'm destined to a life of loneliness." He crossed his arms over his chest. "She probably put all this crap in your head since Billy and Trini's wedding is coming up. Ever since they announced their engagement, Kim seems to think I'm gonna die single and unhappy."_

_The red ranger shook his head with a smirk. "Women."_

_Tommy smiled weakly at Jason's comment, still too conflicted to truly relax around the red ranger. The part of Tommy from before everything went wrong wanted to stay and talk to Jason, happy to have the friendship back that was lost long ago. But the current Tommy, Zedd's green ranger, itched to grab the Dragon dagger that wasn't there and shove it through his throat._

_Tommy briefly wondered if he'd ever be able to reconcile the two._

"_So do you need help with anything else or…" He motioned awkwardly behind him towards the house. He really didn't want to continue this conversation._

_Jason smiled. "Nah, I got it, T, but thanks for helping… and for checking on me. I appreciate it."_

_The green ranger shifted uncomfortably, momentarily unsure of how to respond to the happy and trusting look in Jason's eyes. "Yeah." He looked away when maintaining eye contact became unbearable. "See ya."_

_Tommy didn't care to hear if Jason responded to his departure, mind focused on putting as much distance as possible between him and the red ranger. _

_He entered the house from the kitchen, briskly walking to the living room and taking a seat on the large plush sofa. Kim sat in the loveseat next to him, a smile on her face as she watched their son grumpily pick up his Legos and Batman toys off the floor. Every now and then she would point out another colored plastic piece he missed, and the tiny glare the boy sent her way would cause her to giggle. Off to the side, Tommy's mother stood with the phone against her ear, an annoyed expression on her face._

"_Dinner will be at seven… yes, everyone is here… if you want to bring her, you can, but you know how Tommy feels about her, Frank… mhm. Fine." Sandra rolled her eyes. "Bye."_

_Tommy peered up at the tired face of his mother. "Dad being a dick again?"_

_He could feel the burning glare from his right, knowing all too well that Kim was mentally berating him for such bad language around their son._

"_Does he know how to be anything else?" asked his mother sarcastically. Tommy grinned._

"_I can't believe he thinks it'd be okay to bring that –" She glanced at her grandson. "– _woman_ into my house. After everything that's happened because of her."_

"_I don't know if he's being bold or just incredibly stupid," mumbled Kim._

_Tommy felt insistent tugs on his legs, looking down to see his son struggle to climb onto his lap. The green ranger grabbed the boy without thinking, turning him around so that he sat with his back against Tommy's stomach._

"_Definitely stupid." The green ranger smiled when his son cocooned himself in Tommy's arms._

"_Did he expect you to just say it was okay for him to come over with her? Like no one would be uncomfortable?" Kim shook her head. "What was he thinking?"_

"_He wasn't thinking," said Tommy sharply. "He never thinks about how the things he does affects other people. That's how all of this started." Tommy could feel himself getting angrier the longer he thought about how much of a jackass his father was, and it wasn't until his son squirmed uncomfortably against him that he realized how tense his body was._

"_Sorry," he mumbled softly into the boy's hair before grabbing a red toy motorcycle off the sofa and handing it to his son to distract him. "Look at this, you forgot one."_

_The child shook his head. "I didn't forget it. It's my favorite toy." He held the toy bike in the air, mimicking the sounds of a motorcycle as it moved around. He turned sideways in Tommy's lap, driving the motorcycle up his father's arm and over his shoulder._

_Tommy laughed. "That's how you drive?"_

"_Mhm." The motorcycle did an impossible flip off of Tommy's chest._

"_You drive up walls and flip backwards and float in the air?"_

"_Yeah." Tommy could tell the little boy was only half-heartedly paying attention._

"_You're gonna be a great driver." The green ranger smirked. "You gonna drink and drive, too?"_

"_Yeah," said the little boy distractedly as he rolled the red motorcycle up Tommy's chest to perform yet another physically impossible feat. Tommy ran his fingers through the child's hair._

"_Of course you will. Remind me to never ride in the car when you drive, okay?"_

"'_Kay." The motorcycle moved up Tommy's chest quickly, firmly tapping the green ranger's chin. Tommy grabbed the toy in retaliation, turning it on his son and driving it all over the child's body, causing the boy to laugh._

"_I never thought I'd live to see Tommy as a father," said Sandra softly. "Or that I'd even have a grandson."_

_The smile on Tommy's face died when he caught sight of the happiness on his mother's face, knowing all too well that in the real world, his mother would never know about her grandchild. Knowing would put her in danger, the baby, Kim, Tommy… but with the way she was looking at him at that moment, it was almost worth it to tell her._

_Almost._

"_He's a surprisingly good father," said Kim with a smirk. "And he's an okay husband, too." She winked in his direction._

_The little boy shifted in Tommy's lap, grabbing onto his father's arms as he steadied himself into a standing position. The green ranger automatically grasped the boy's waist, eyeing him warily as he balanced himself on his father's thighs. _

_Sandra laughed. "Of course he is. I raised him that way. He had me a little worried when he was in high school what with his –" She struggled to find the word, though Tommy got the distinct feeling that the word she was looking for was whorish. "– troublesome ways, but he turned out to be the man I knew he could be."_

_Tommy looked down as his son attempted to shove him back into the sofa, little fingers interlocked with his father's much larger ones. Whereas the toddler appeared to be pushing with all of his might, Tommy merely looked on with amusement as he held the boy back using very little strength. The laughter that at one point threatened to bubble to the surface in the green ranger was being dragged down by the weight of his mother's thoughts, steadily falling with each passing word. _

_Listening to Sandra speak so highly of him made the green ranger feel nauseous, and the acidic burn of the bile rising in his throat was becoming unbearable. He knew without a doubt that his mother would not be happy if she knew the person her son had truly become._

_Tommy cleared his throat loudly. "Get up for a sec. Da– I need to use the bathroom," he told his son. The little boy eyed him suspiciously before easing up. The green ranger gently moved the child to the side, subconsciously pressing a kiss to his forehead before getting up and heading to the bathroom in the basement._

_Tommy rushed down the stairs as quickly as possible, head pounding fiercely along the way. He turned on the faucet, scooping up a handful of cold water and repeatedly splashed his face._

'Fuck.'

_The green ranger gripped the sides of the sink forcefully as he breathed harshly through his nose. His heart beat rapidly in his chest as his emotions ran rampant._

"_Get it together, Oliver. It's a dream… it's just a fucking dream." He stared at himself in the mirror for several seconds before grabbing a nearby towel and drying his face._

_Letting out a deep breath, Tommy slowly ascended the stairs, hesitating once he reached the top._

"_Just a dream," he whispered to himself as he gripped the door handle, twisting it slowly to head back into the living room._

_He opened the door, steeling himself for round two, only to find that everything was different._

"_Fuck," he breathed._

_The door swung widely at his entrance, flying back to hit the wall with a loud bang before falling completely off its hinges. Tommy pressed a hand to his mouth, coughing harshly against the black soot that was thick in the air. His eyes welled up with tears at the sting. The green ranger cringed when he tasted metal on his tongue, pulling back his hand to find red, wet streaks on his glove._

_Blood._

_Tommy bent over and began to gag at the realization. He looked down at his clothes, stomach dropping when he realized he was covered in black spandex, Lord Zedd's insignia across his chest. There were tears along his torso, three guns in the holster around his waist, and a bloody axe in his other hand. _

_Tommy swallowed thickly as he looked around his mother's house, eyes adjusting to the smoke. His stomach lurched into his throat when he was able to see that everything was burned to a crisp. The sofa was a pile of ash, along with what used to be the other furniture in the living room. He walked slowly through the room, wincing slightly when he realized he was limping heavily on his left leg. Brown eyes trailed down to the axe in his right hand, the fresh trail of blood staining the beige carpet. Sweat poured down his face from the heat in the small house, fire still roaring in certain parts of the house._

_He began to panic when it occurred to him that Kimberly and their son had been right here a few seconds ago, but he didn't see any sign of his son's toys to indicate that they were ever there to begin with._

"_Kim!" he called out. "Kimberly, are you here?" he asked loudly, a strange mixture of relief and panic settling in when he didn't hear a response. Not hearing her didn't mean she wasn't there._

_The crunch of glass under his feet drew his attention to the broken picture frame on the ground. Inside was a picture of him with his mother. Tommy's heart raced, and he dropped the axe onto the ground._

"_Mom!" he shouted hoarsely. "Mom! Sandra!" _

_The green ranger grunted harshly as he searched the house, becoming increasingly frantic when he couldn't find her. He headed in the direction of the master bedroom, legs burning fiercely from the exertion. He banged loudly on the bedroom door, growling when there was no response. Tommy slammed his body against the door, repeating the motion until the door finally gave way. _

"_Sandra! Sand- Shit!"_

_The entire bedroom was engulfed in flames that nearly reached the ceiling, and the heat was quickly becoming oppressive. "Mom, can you hear me? Sandra? SANDRA!" he shouted, desperation creeping into his voice._

"_Tommy? What the _fuck_ are you doing?"_

_The green ranger turned to meet Scorpina's wild eyes. She was dressed in her full warrior's armor, tail whipping behind her excitedly._

"_Are you trying to get yourself killed? This whole building is about to collapse. _What are you even doing in here_?"_

_Tommy attempted to speak but nearly passed out from the effort, the prolonged exposure to carbon dioxide finally getting to him now that the adrenaline was wearing off._

"_Shit," she swore, tail wrapping around his waist while she tugged his arm over her shoulder. "I need to get you out of here."_

_The green ranger tried to push her off of him but found himself too weak to do anything in his current state. The world rushed by him in a swirl of gray, black and orange as Scorpina led him through the house. Tommy inhaled sharply once they were outside the outside, hacking coughs racking his body as he greedily took in fresh air._

"_You okay?" asked Scorpina, talons digging into his shoulder slightly._

_The green ranger nodded breathlessly, eyes focused on the sky as he lay on his back. In the background, he could hear faint thumping._

"_W-What happened?" he asked between gasps._

"_You tell me," she asked irritably. "The emperor sent us to attack Angel Grove. You were supposed to be on the east side of the city, not the north. Why are you here, Commander?"_

_The green ranger rolled over onto his stomach, pushing himself up on shaky limbs to rest on his knees. The thumping from earlier was getting louder and faster._

"_I don't know. All I know is that I'm walking through a broken door into a house that's –" His words died on his lips._

"_Tommy, what's wrong?"_

_The thumping sound he heard before was now incredibly loud as Tommy saw what was causing the noise. Across from him in the driveway outside his house was his mother, crying hysterically as she beat on the window of her car. He couldn't hear her, but he could tell from the way her lips were moving that she was screaming for help in her native tongue._

_She was screaming for him to help her._

"_Mom," he whispered softly._

"_Ready?" a gruff voice yelled loudly. Tommy looked over at the source, eyes widening when he saw ten armed soldiers with large guns in their hands._

"_No," grunted the green ranger as he pushed himself off the ground. "I can't… no…"_

"_Tommy, you need to stay down," hissed Scorpina as she pushed him back down. "You're going to aggravate your wounds."_

"_Stop, Scorpina," he growled. _

"_Aim." The soldiers raised their guns, pointing them at the small car._

"_Commander."_

"_Get off of me!" Tommy nearly shouted as he shoved her off of him. He climbed to his feet, barely noticing the pain as he stumbled towards them._

"_Wait!" yelled the green ranger. The soldiers paused, lowering their weapons to look at him questioningly._

"_Sir?" asked the leader of the small troop._

"_Don't," wheezed Tommy. "Don't shoot that –"_

_A loud boom and a flash of green light sent everyone flying backwards several feet, including Tommy, whose head slammed against the ground hard. He let out a pained groan, hands nursing his throbbing head. _

'Get up, Tommy! Sandra!' _His eyes popped open, heart pounding in his chest._

"_Mom," he murmured thickly, barely able to hear himself over the ringing in his ears. "No… nononono… fuck, please…" _

_The green ranger stood slowly on shaky legs, heart dropping at the sight of a charred skeleton sitting in the mangled chassis of his mother's car._

_Behind the car stood a little boy with his hand stretched out in front of him, clad in a green spandex uniform with Lord Zedd's insignia on it. Next to the child stood Lord Zedd who, even with the inability to physically express his emotions, one could tell was filled with immense pride. _

_The green ranger's mouth felt dry when he realized that the little boy was the same child who only moments ago was sitting in his mother's living playing with his favorite toy. This boy, however, held none of the same happiness from earlier. His eyes were cold, _dead_ even, and his body was rigid and radiated power. He turned as if he could feel Tommy's gaze on him and gave a subtle nod, as if acknowledging that he did a good job._

_The green ranger didn't even realize when he started crying._

"_Tommy, are you –"_

_The green ranger shoved Scorpina away from him. "Leave me alone," he choked out._

"_Tommy, you need to –"_

"_I said leave me the fuck alone!" he screamed, eyes red and wet with tears._

_Anything Scorpina said to him after that was ignored as he crawled over to the still burning car. Tommy barely grimaced at the touch of the burning metal when he opened the door, coming face to face with his mother's scorched remains. Some of her flesh was still on her bones, melted to the seat beneath her. Her body was turned towards him, mouth open in a silent scream._

'Why couldn't I have stopped this?'

"_Father?"_

_Tommy's blood ran cold at the child's voice, and he turned angry eyes on the miniature version of himself._

"_What?" he hissed with more hatred than he ever thought possible._

"_It's time," said the boy, unfazed by his father's emotional distress._

"_Time for what?" The green ranger's voice was thick with emotion._

_The little boy smiled, eyes burning bright green suddenly. "To wake up."_

The green ranger lurched forward, chest heaving frantically as he tried to catch his breath. His body was covered in sweat, hair matted to his forehead.

"Holy shit," he gasped. "That felt too real." His arms tingled from the feel of his child in his arms.

Thunderous beating on his door forced his heart to jump to his throat from fear, images of his nightmare flashing before his eyes. _'Oh, God…'_

"God dammit, Tommy, open the door!" It was Scorpina.

The green ranger blinked rapidly in confusion as he kicked off his sheets, hastily climbing to his feet and throwing on some well-worn sweatpants as he made his way to his door. Taking a deep breath, he raked a still shaking hand through his hair before opening the door.

"What?"

Scorpina jumped back in surprise at his sudden appearance. "I've been knocking on your door for five minutes and all you have to say is 'what'?"

Tommy shrugged. "Why are you knocking on my door like you're the police? It's the middle of the night, Scorpina."

She blinked slowly before narrowing her eyes. "Precisely, _Oliver_, which is why I'm here." At his raised eyebrow, she continued. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. From the way you were shouting in there, I thought someone was trying to _kill_ you. It's no wonder –"

"What are you talking about?" interrupted Tommy sharply. "I wasn't shouting. I was _sleeping_."

Confusion crossed her features. "Tommy, you were loud enough to wake the dead. I could hear you on my way to my quarters on the other side of Serpentera."

Tommy furrowed his brow. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he said slowly.

"It literally just happened." Scorpina shot him a look of disbelief. "You honestly don't remember? You were screaming for some woman named Sandra and asking someone to stay away."

The teen went cold at the mention of his mother's name, her shrill screams still vivid in his mind.

"Tommy… who's Sandra?" Scorpina asked with concern in her eyes.

The green ranger turned away from her, hands running over his face as he tried to clear his mind. "She's no one. You heard wrong."

Scorpina raised an eyebrow. "You're lying."

His hands flexed subconsciously, itching for a glass of _Daem_. "I told you, you heard wrong."

"You were screaming for Kim, too, you know," she said softly. "Sounded like she and Sandra were in trouble."

Tommy's eyes flashed green in annoyance. "Drop it," he hissed.

Scorpina eyed him warily, eyes narrowing as she studied him. "This isn't the first time this has happened, is it? A night ter-"

"Nightmare," he interrupted harshly. "It was a nightmare. Everyone has them – there's nothing wrong with me."

"Never said there was," she murmured.

The two maintained eye contact for several seconds before Tommy looked away, uncomfortable with how she studied him.

"How long until we reach Earth?" he asked.

"Two or three Earth days. Why?"

Tommy flinched as he mentally replayed the car explosion in his head, along with the panicked expression in his mother's eyes right before it happened. His mind then traveled to Kimberly and their future child, who he could still feel resting in his arms.

He shrugged in response to her question, gaze unfocused.

"No reason."

* * *

_**Things are happening with Tommy. Is he finally starting to see the light? Who knows...**_

_**As always, please review. All feedback is appreciated. :) I'll try my best to get the next chapter out sooner!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note:**_

_So uh...hey. Long time no post?_

_I'm very sorry for the delay with this fic and sort of...dropping off the face of the Earth. I've been having a really terrible year and needed some me time. Things have finally calmed down, however, and I'm back. I'll try to update more regularly._

_So without further delay, here is Chapter 9!_

* * *

**The Lunar Palace**

**Docking Bay**

**The Moon**

**Local time, Unknown**

Tommy scratched irritably at the stubble along his jaw as he stepped off of _Serpentera_ onto the boarding dock of the Lunar Palace. It felt strange to be back after everything that happened, and he pulled tighter on his sweatshirt.

A cool metallic hand rested on his shoulder. "You have a break, Thomas. Rygog is currently away on Earth but will report back in two hours for a debriefing."

The teen said nothing as he watched the emperor walk away. It wasn't until he heard the familiar clicks of Anebris behind him did he realize he wasn't alone.

"Would Commander like Anebris to take Zyltran to the holding area?"

Tommy frowned in confusion. "Zyltran? Who – _shit_." He completely forgot about the gnarlyth he was gifted by the leaders of the KAX Union. What the hell was he supposed to do with the beast now?

"Um, yeah, thank you, Anebris. Take him to the cells in the West Wing while I get settled back into my quarters."

The fishlike creature clicked loudly before turning back to retrieve the beast.

The green ranger made the trek to his room in silence, body feeling heavier with each step he took. He felt off-balance now that he was back, unsure of the time or day due to the constant space travel. The halls were empty save for the few Tengu slinking around.

'_Everyone must be out for battle.'_ He paused at that thought. _'Where the hell are we fighting now anyway?'_

Lord Zedd always had him running around on KO-35 or rifling through the many books on Intergalactic Law that he only received small updates on the status of things on Earth, not that the updates were very informative anyway.

He took a detour, heading towards the throne room in search of Finster. The creature knew jack shit about war, but he was in charge of weapons and transportation. There had to be a log of where the soldiers and artillery had been sent in the three weeks they were gone.

Tommy's eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the large stone table sitting in the middle of the throne room. The largest chair there – the _Commander's_ chair – had one of Rygog's capes draped over the back in what Tommy could only consider the most pretentious way of displaying his authority.

'_Ass.'_

Slight ruffling from behind caught the teen's ear, and he whistled loudly to stop the feathered passerby. "Hey! Featherface! Tengu…come here…"

The human-sized bird turned to him with stupid eyes, head cocked to the side. The green ranger held out his bags. "Take this to my room. The Commander's quarters in the Upper East Wing? Can you do that, Big Bird?"

The Tengu squawked loudly. "Yes, sir."

"Good," said Tommy with a forced smile. "Don't break any of my shit."

The warrior gave a soft caw before turning. Tommy waited until the bird was gone before heading to Finster's lab, stopping along the way to yank Rygog's cape from the chair onto the floor and stomping on it. It was a childish move, but he didn't care.

'_Fuck Rygog.'_

The green ranger knocked three times on Finster's door before opening the door. The Clayoidian engineer was nowhere to be found, and his lab was an absolute mess.

Tommy shut the door behind him quickly, not wanting to alert anyone to his whereabouts. He moved to the center table in the lab, which was covered with canvas fabric that had a somewhat crude map of the Earth drawn on it. Several pushpins of various colors were sticking out, along with miniature tanks, soldiers and spaceships. Tommy knew the color code for the pins – red meant the area had been invaded, green meant the invasion was currently happening, and blue indicated an impending invasion.

He was startled to see how much of Western Europe was covered in red pushpins, as well as South America and a good portion of Southeast Asia. Several spots in Africa were covered in blue and green, most likely due to Finster still working on a way to get the soldiers adjusted to the heat and humidity of the region.

His gaze traveled over to the U.S., eyes widening at the large number of blue pushpins in the North and Southeast areas. Some places in the west were covered in red, albeit areas with low populations.

'_How the fuck did he get all of this done while I was away?' _Tommy wondered incredulously.

'_Is Rygog that much better than me?'_ He choked down the feeling of inadequacy that question brought to the surface.

His eyes froze when his gaze landed where he knew California was on the map. There were five red pushpins in the area, three of which were clustered together near the base of the state. He knew one was Los Angeles and another was San Francisco, given that he was the one that led the attacks.

"But what the hell is the third one?" he wondered aloud.

The green ranger ran through a mental list of what cities were there. There was Anaheim, Long Beach, Santa Ana… Rygog could've gone for Riverside, but that would provide no tactical advantage if he already took out L.A. and San Diego.

'_Unless…'_ The green ranger felt a sickening hollowness in his stomach.

"He wouldn't," Tommy whispered. "I told him not to. I _ordered_ it."

But the longer he stared at the map, the less he could deny what he knew to be true. Angel Grove was also one of the cities between Los Angeles and San Diego, and the only one that made sense to attack from a strategic standpoint.

His mouth felt dry as he forced himself away from the table, dragging his feet as he moved to stand before Finster's computer.

"Computer," he rasped. "Commander Thomas Oliver of the Dark Empire speaking. Access code 90183."

There was a steady beeping sound as it matched his voice and number in its system. "HELLO COMMANDER."

"Requesting a log of transports to and from Angel Grove dating back to my departure to the KAX Union."

Another series of beeps. "PROCESSING…"

Tommy didn't even bother looking at the screen as a long list began to form. He flinched internally at every beep of a new log entry's appearance, heart suddenly very heavy.

"THERE ARE SEVENTY-EIGHT RECORDED TRANSPORTS IN OUR DATABASE TO ANGEL GROVE. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO NEXT, COMMANDER?"

A response never came from the green ranger as he teleported out in a flash of green light, fists clenched at his sides.

* * *

**Oliver Household**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**Local time, 3:37 PM**

Tommy materialized in the backyard of his parents' home, and the heaviness in his chest grew tenfold.

The teen was hit with a coughing spell mere seconds after landing, lungs burning from the ash and smell of smoke still in the air.

He nearly gagged at the familiar nauseating smell of blood and burnt flesh.

The grass beneath his feet was no longer rich and green, but was now a mix of brown, orange and black. It crunched beneath his feet with every step he took towards the house.

The back door was off its hinges, no doubt ripped off in a soldier's haste to get inside. Tommy gingerly stepped over the fallen door as he walked inside, glass crunching beneath his feet. The formerly white walls were now covered in soot, scorch marks decorating the surface every few feet.

The green ranger used his shirt to cover his mouth and nose to breathe easier, though his eyes burned something fierce.

He raced forward, clumsily making his way through the house to his parents' bedroom. The door was ajar when he reached it, and Tommy gingerly pushed it open, afraid of what he'd find. Bile rose in his throat when he caught sight of their bedroom, which was little more than a pile of ashes now.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw something lying on the floor of his parents' bathroom. It was a severely charred arm resting on the cracked tile, undoubtedly connected to an equally burned body. Tommy knew without question that the arm belonged to his father.

He stumbled back, suddenly winded by the confirmation of what he knew in his heart to be true. His back hit the doorframe hard, but he didn't feel the pain as he slid slowly to the floor.

'_He was trapped,'_ Tommy thought somberly. _'He was trapped in the bathroom when they set everything on fire.'_ His stomach lurched at the thought.

Tommy wasn't quite sure what he was feeling in that moment as he stared at his father's lifeless arm. He had spent so long hating him for cheating on his mother and abandoning their family for his own selfish needs that the green ranger had often thought of killing the man himself. The knowledge of his father's affair had tainted the love the teenager once felt for the older man beyond recognition, to where he didn't think he could ever love his father again. But even now… he felt _something_.

And he wasn't sure he liked it.

Tommy tore his eyes away from his dad, focusing instead on the piles of ash in the room. It was strange to see the room looking this way, a stark contrast to its normally meticulous state. Nothing was left untouched from the fire it seemed.

An image from the fire he dreamt about nights ago on Serpentera flashed in his mind. He shuddered, disturbed by how eerily similar his dream was to what actually happened.

And then a thought made his blood run cold. _'Mom.'_

"_No_," he rasped as he climbed to his feet. "No, no, no, no, no…"

He knew in the back of his mind that the likelihood of his mother being alive after an attack led by Rygog was slim to none, but he couldn't stop himself from hoping against hope.

As Tommy made his way through what remained of his living room, he let out a choked sob of car in his parents' driveway. It was a small sedan, turned upside down with a crushed roof. Three of its tires were missing and all of the windows were blown out, glass scattered along the driveway.

The teen slowly made his way over, crouching down to get on his hands and knees. He barely noticed the sting from the jagged pieces of glass cutting into his skin. Tommy grabbed the door to the driver's side of the car, ripping it off and tossing it carelessly behind him on the grass.

The green ranger could make out the shape of a skeleton sitting in the driver's seat, its mouth open as if mid-scream. Part of it appeared to be attached to the car, most likely fused together from the intense heat of the fire His eyes traveled down to the person's neck, where what looked like a broken chain hang from their collarbone; it was covered in ash. Tommy reached out a hand, wiping away the dirt before letting out a shaky sigh and closing his eyes.

It was cracked, chipped away in some spots and even melted, but he knew his mother's necklace when he saw it.

Tommy was able to turn his head away at the last second before dry heaving.

He fell back against the car once it passed, limbs shaking from the emotions coursing through him.

His mind raced a mile a minute. _'How long was she in the car before she died? Did she think about him before everything ended? Did she feel any pain?'_

"This wasn't supposed to happen," he whispered, hand toying with the broken necklace. "The invasion was never meant to touch Angel Grove."

"**Did you really think that would happen?"** T asked in disgust, appearing suddenly on top of the car, legs crossed. **"You can't protect someone if you're the reason they're in danger in the first place. That's stupid."**

Tommy shook his head rapidly. "I did what I could. I kept them away from Angel Grove as long as I could. I did my part."

T laughed. **"Right, because agreeing to invade your home planet, murdering people all over the world, and then leaving behind the people you claim to care for when they need you the most is certainly doing your part. Admit it, Tommy – you did nothing."**

"Fuck you."

He shoved his mother's necklace into his pocket before closing his eyes from the sting of tears. "This wasn't my fault," he whispered fiercely.

"**No, it wasn't."** The green ranger looked up to see Tom standing over him, arms crossed over his chest.

T jumped off the car in disbelief. **"Are you serious?"** The younger boy turned around in a full circle, arms flailing about. **"Then whose fault is it?"**

"**For starters? The Power Rangers…Jason,"** Tom offered with a snarl. **"They're the ones who are supposed to protect this city, this planet, not Tommy. Where were they when Angel Grove was being burned down? Where were they when Sandra was trapped in this car screaming for help?"**

T rolled his eyes**. "Gee, I don't know, **_**Admiral**_**…maybe trying to protect the rest of the world's population from **_**his **_**invasion! Mom was his responsibility and he blew it. Don't try to make him feel better about it."**

It scared Tommy how much he wanted to believe what Tom was saying, how much he needed that to ease the pain of his mother's death, but he just couldn't ignore T's words. Not fully.

"**Tommy, listen to me."** Tom kneeled down to be eyelevel with the now openly crying green ranger. **"You always intended on keeping this invasion peaceful. That's why you left for KAX – to make sure this didn't get any worse, right?"**

The green ranger nodded numbly, even though he wasn't entirely sure why he went to KAX himself. Not anymore.

"**What happened here was necessary, but **_**how**_** it happened was beyond your control."**

T stood behind Tom with a disgusted frown, head shaking rapidly from side to side. **"I can't believe this shit…"**

"**What is in your control is the fallout,"** Tom said, voice rising to talk over T's background commentary. **"You couldn't prevent your mother's death but you can make sure those responsible pay for it."** His eyes shined brighter. **"Jason has failed you **_**twice**_** now, Tommy. You almost died the first time, and this time your mother is dead."**

The matter of fact way the older man said it made Tommy flinch.

"**And what about Rygog, hmm?"** Tom asked curiously. "**He's been challenging your authority ever since the Emperor made you his Commander. He waited until you were gone to take your power away, to undermine everything you worked so hard for…and look what happened."**

The green ranger's fists clenched tightly, knuckles white from the pressure. The anger was drowning out the pain, and he embraced it freely. Anger was something he could handle.

"**You're upset? Good, you should be. But to sit here and wallow in self-loathing is unacceptable."**

Tom rose to his feet, stretching out a hand to the boy on the ground. The sight reminded Tommy strongly of Lord Zedd.

"_**Do something about it**_**."**

* * *

**The Lunar Palace**

**Upper West Wing Corridor**

**The Moon**

**Local time, Unknown**

Blood pounded thunderously in Tommy's veins as he stormed through the Lunar Palace, his mother's charred necklace heavy in his pocket.

"_WHERE IS HE?!_" the teen roared.

Scuffling was heard before several Piranhatron made their way over to him. "Sir?"

"Rygog. Where is he?" Tommy's eyes burned bright green with anger.

"General Oliver, he's in a – " Tommy grabbed the soldier by his armor, slamming him roughly into the wall.

"Don't you _dare_ call me General," the green ranger hissed. "My title is and always will be Commander, do you understand?"

The Piranhatron nodded. "I did not mean any disrespect, sir. It is only that in your absence, the title of Commander was – "

The soldier wheezed when Tommy's hand wrapped around his throat, trachea collapsing under the teen's hand. "I don't give a _fuck_ what that bug-eyed freak thinks he is. _I'm_ the Commander. _I_ call the shots." He leaned closer. "Now, where is he?"

"Tommy, stop."

The green ranger turned to face Scorpina who looked at him with a mixture of concern and disappointment.

"Let him go. Now."

Tommy turned back to the soldier he had pinned to the wall, growling low in his throat before dropping him abruptly to the ground.

"Leave us," he hissed to the remaining Piranhatrons. They shuffled quickly, picking up their fallen friend along the way as they hurried out.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked angrily. "You can't go around choking soldiers because you're upset."

"Do you know where he is?"

"Of course I do, but I'm not telling you. Not while you're like this and liable to do something stupid."

Tommy narrowed his eyes. "You _knew_." His eyes flashed green when she looked away. "You knew he was attacking Angel Grove and didn't say anything."

"I…_suspected_," she corrected him. "Just like you. The attack was inevitable, Tommy. You knew it was only a matter of time. Are you upset because he disobeyed you?" She eyed him warily. "Or because of…_other_ reasons?"

The green ranger tensed. "I'm only going to ask you one more time, Scorpina. Where is he?"

Scorpina sighed. "His whereabouts aren't important right now, Tommy. There's something else you need to know." Her eyes softened. "It's about – "

Tommy's attention shifted when he caught a flash of metallic blue in his peripheral. Rygog appeared from around the corner.

"_You_," Tommy hissed, fists clenched tightly.

Rygog let out an irritated scoff. "Oliver. What do you want, boy?"

"Did I not make it clear that Angel Grove was to remain untouched before I left?"

Rygog frowned. "You said there was no reason to attack Angel Grove _at the time_ when there were more important cities to attack. We've covered the entire map, boy. Surely you didn't think Angel Grove would be spared."

Rygog gave a wry grin. "But from how tense you are, I'm guessing you really were that naïve."

Tommy moved to run at him but was stopped by Scorpina grabbing the back of his hoodie.

"Calm down," she whispered urgently, nails digging into his arm.

"It's no surprise to see you so angry, so _weak_. It's obvious whatever emotional attachment you had to that wretched city is what kept you from doing your job." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Someone had to pick up the slack."

Tommy's eyes burned from the effort to keep from crying. "Emotional attachment had nothing to do with my decision not to attack Angel Grove."

"Didn't it?" Rygog challenged, beady eyes focused intently on the green ranger. "You had no problem with every other city we've hit, but when Angel Grove is under attack, a city you yourself said was inconsequential to the invasion, you're bothered. Why is that?"

By now a crowd had gathered around them and all eyes were focused on the green ranger. Tommy swallowed uncomfortably under their scrutiny.

Rygog sneered as he moved closer to the teen. "Did I hit a little too close to _home_?" he whispered.

Tommy barely felt the heat coursing through his veins as he shot a bolt of green energy directly into Rygog's chest. The creature howled in pain, tripping over his own feet before he crashed onto the floor.

The green ranger felt Scorpina's grip on his hoodie loosen and he pounced on the fallen general, fists slamming repeatedly into his face. Tommy felt numb with rage, eyes only seeing his parents' bodies engulfed in flames as Rygog stood laughing. Time slowed down as he listened to her scream for help, to his father begging for mercy on the bathroom floor…

"Thomas, ENOUGH!"

The green ranger was shaken from his reverie by the booming voice of Lord Zedd, and his eyes snapped to the now horribly disfigured face of Rygog. Blood covered the teen's hands, face and the front of his hoodie. He barely noticed when two Piranhatrons dragged him off of Rygog's crumpled form.

"I…" The green ranger stared at his hands in confusion.

"Be quiet," Lord Zedd hissed menacingly. Tommy's cheeks flushed from embarrassment from being scolded.

"You two," the emperor said pointing at two Tengu. "Take Commander Rygog down to the Medical Bay. Now."

The feathered soldiers rushed to Rygog's aid.

"Everyone clear the area…except you two." The emperor pointed at Tommy and Scorpina.

Lord Zedd waited for the others to leave before roughly grabbing Tommy and slamming him into the wall. The teen wheezed at the impact.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have you thrown in the holding cells for your attack on Rygog."

Tommy's mouth opened and closed several times as he tried to come up with an answer.

"He disobeyed my orders to attack Angel Grove."

Lord Zedd's arm shot up to the teen's throat, pressing hard against his Adam's apple. "And since when do your orders override mine, Thomas?" The emperor leaned closer to the green ranger. "Rygog attacked Angel Grove on my orders. Do you have a problem with that?"

The angry red glow of Lord Zedd's visor caused Tommy's heart to race. "I just -" he rasped.

"Master, if I may?" Scorpina interrupted.

There was a pause before Zedd gave a slight nod in her direction.

"From my conversations with him on _Serpentera_, I believe Tommy simply wanted to be the one to attack Angel Grove, in hopes of a personal confrontation with the Power Rangers."

The green ranger's eyes narrowed. _'What?'_

There was a heavy silence. "Scorpina, it is not your job to come to the aid of General Oliver when he can very clearly speak for himself."

She nodded. "I understand, sir, but in this case I feel it is necessary. Although Tommy is very bright, he is also young, and with youth comes the inability to control certain impulses. Even though it was incredibly brash of him to attack Rygog like that, his value and his loyalty to this empire shouldn't be questioned."

Her eyes cut to the green ranger. "I'm sure that with some…discipline, _this won't be happening again_."

Tommy looked between the two in confusion, unable to read either of their facial expressions.

The teen let out a grunt when Zedd suddenly released him, and he rubbed his throat warily as he watched the emperor walk over to Scorpina. The two of them whispered fiercely at each other for some time.

Lord Zedd stepped back. "Am I understood?"

Scorpina spared a glance in Tommy's direction before nodding.

"Good." The emperor looked over his shoulder at the green ranger quickly before turning back to Scorpina.

"How you decide to go about it is your call, but I want it taken care of."

Scorpina's jaw clenched slightly. "Yes, sir. His probation will be effective immediately."

Tommy opened his mouth to protest, but the warning glare Scorpina sent his way kept him silent.

"I'm leaving him in your charge," Zedd stated tersely before walking off.

Tommy waited until the emperor was out of sight before turning on Scorpina. "What the fuck? Why am I on probation?"

"I'm sorry, would you rather be dead?" she sneered before heading down the hallway.

His eyes widened. "Dead? For _that_? Rygog wasn't even hurt that badly."

"You almost crushed his skull in, Tommy. I'm thinking that means his injuries are serious."

"Well if you feel that way, why did you even defend me in the first place?" he asked angrily.

She looked away. "It's…complicated."

"What the hell does that even mean? And what was with the secretive whispers with Zedd?" He narrowed his eyes when she refused to look at him. "And why do I get the feeling that something else is going on here?"

"Because there is," she said bluntly before grabbing his arm. "Not here. Come with me."

Tommy allowed her to drag him to her quarters, raising an eyebrow in surprise as she forcefully closed it. He had never seen her so agitated before. Something was definitely wrong.

"Scorpina?" His voice cracked a bit with worry. Her pacing was making him nervous.

"You're off-duty from this moment forth. Two months mandatory probation. You will report to the lower levels of the Moon Base and tend to the creatures in the cells. All of your access privileges have been downgraded to Level 5."

The green ranger's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Rygog's not even dead! Why do I - "

"This _isn't_ about Rygog. It's about _you_!" she yelled at him.

Tommy blinked in confusion, stomach tightening uncomfortably. "What do you mean it's about me? What's going on?"

She stared at him intently before mumbling under her breath.

"Scorpina, what do you – "

"How did you find out Angel Grove was attacked?" she asked cutting him off.

"I used the computer in Finster's lab," he said nonchalantly. "Why won't you –"

"Did you find anything else?"

Tommy shook his head. "I was only interested in Angel Grove."

The green ranger wasn't sure, but a look of what could only be described as remorse crossed her features.

"A lot happened while we were away, a lot that wasn't disclosed to you. Things that if the emperor knew you were asking about could probably end up getting you killed." She walked past him to her desk, typing rapidly on the keyboard to bring up the logs of the Dark Empire's recent attacks.

"In one hour, I will ask Finster to restrict your access to the computer's database. Until then, I'm going to leave this room and whatever you choose to do while I'm gone, I won't be aware of."

Tommy looked from the computer screen to her in confusion. He knew what she was doing, but he didn't understand why.

"Scorpina," he called out as she opened the door. "Hypothetically speaking, if I wanted to catch up on what's been happening since we left for KAX, where would be a good place to start?"

She gave him a sad smile. "Nairobi."

* * *

**Angel Grove Park**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**Evening**

The green ranger materialized in the center of Angel Grove Park. Normally he would try to be more discreet, but given that the town was pretty much abandoned ever since the attack, there was no point in trying to be inconspicuous.

Surprisingly, the park was relatively unscathed. Aside from the sporadic spots of burned land and complete lack of any living creatures, it was just as he remembered.

'_That's because no one would be dumb enough to stay out in the open when lasers and bullets are flying everywhere,'_ he thought bitterly.

Tommy made his way over to the lake, mind racing to catch up on the day's events. Just thinking about everything he'd learned in the last few hours was giving him a headache.

"**Well it should. It's your fault."**

Tommy rolled his eyes before taking a seat on the large rock nearby. "And just when this day couldn't possibly get worse, you show up."

T snorted. **"Am I wrong?"** he asked while rolling up his jeans to his knees.

The younger teen plopped down on the ground, stretching his long legs so that his feet dangled in the water.

Tommy chose to ignore his question. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"**Wouldn't the better question be why does this suddenly change your plans?" **T shrugged. **"You obviously didn't care enough about your parents or Kim or that baby you put in her in the first place since you joined the wrong team. Now that they're all dead, shouldn't that make things easier for you?"**

Tommy's eyes flashed green. "I never wanted them to die."

T arched an eyebrow in amusement. **"Right. That's why you did **_**everything**_** in your power to help them. Silly me."**

The green ranger tugged his jacket closer to his body, suddenly very cold. "Where's Tom?" he asked softly.

T laughed. **"You tell me. We're a part of you, remember? You're the reason I'm here and why he isn't."**

The older teen said nothing, effectively ignoring T's existence as he was lost in his thoughts.

It was hard enough dealing with the death of his parents, but now he had to add Kimberly and their unborn child to the list.

The way it was written in the report was so sterile, so matter-of-fact that it made him want to hurl.

To think that she had lived through so much as a ranger and all it took was an axe to her spine for her to go down and a single shot to the skull for it to end.

It just didn't make any sense.

"**Maybe she would have had an easier time protecting herself if she wasn't lugging around that extra weight in her stomach,"** T said as he swirled his feet in the water.

He turned to meet Tommy's heated gaze. **"Too soon?"**

The younger boy held up his hands defensively. **"All right, all right, look. I'm sorry. I know how much Kim and the baby meant to you…"**

"Thanks," Tommy mumbled.

"…**I said to Tommy, with obvious sarcasm…"**

Tommy shot a bolt of energy into the water next to T's feet. "You think this shit is funny?"

T reared back as if offended. **"Do I think the death of a woman who wanted nothing more than to protect her baby and be free of you is funny? Why, no, Tommy, I don't think that's funny at all. I think it's disgusting."**

The younger teen climbed to his feet. **"You're too busy sitting here throwing yourself a pity party that you can't even admit that all of this is your fault. Kim and your baby are dead because of you. Your parents are dead because of you. This whole fucking planet is going to shit because of you. Get over yourself, Tommy.**

"**Kim warned you from the beginning that this would happen. She told you this was dangerous. That this invasion was putting everything at risk, and all you did was lie to her face and say you were protecting her."** His face was flushed with anger. **"Where the hell were you when she needed you, Tommy**?"

A blast of green energy hit T in the chest, sending him flying into the lake.

"**Back off, T. Now."** Tom stood a few feet away, green wisps of smoke emanating from his hand.

T broke the surface of the water, sputtering indignantly as he made his way back to the pier.

"**And right on time, you show up to make sure no one's hurting poor Tommy's wittle feelings. How chivalrous of you."** He climbed out of the water, squeezing the excess water from his clothes.

"**He can't think if you're berating him with your nonsense, boy,"** Tom sneered. **"He needs the opportunity to regroup and think of a new strategy, not listen to your drivel about the pink ranger."**

T's eyes narrowed. **"A new strategy? For what?"**

Tom rolled his eyes. **"Were you not paying attention to his conversation with Scorpina?"**

T blinked twice. **"Oh, wow. You're serious." **

He laughed loudly as he squeezed the water out of his hair. **"And you call me stupid? Dude, no one is robotic like you, especially not this guy."** He pointed at Tommy. **"Contrary to what you think and what he wants to believe, he's nowhere near ready to move past anything, much less Kim."**

Tom raised an eyebrow.

"**Take a look around you, bro."** The younger Tommy shrugged off his hoodie, tossing it carelessly onto the ground next to his shoes. **"Why do you think we're here of all places?"**

"_Am I standing correctly?"_

_Tommy squinted against the sunlight in his eyes as he watched his petite friend get into position._

"_Almost. Your feet need to be a bit wider."_

_Kim did as instructed, feet now shoulder-width apart._

"_Okay, good. Now remember the motions. Your hands and feet need to act in unison for this to work properly."_

_She nodded briefly before scrunching her face up in concentration. Tommy thought she looked adorable._

"_All right… get ready!" he shouted before charging at her full speed._

_The world became a swirl of colors as Tommy found himself flipped in the air and on his back. He winced slightly in pain when his back connected with the ground._

"_Fuck."_

"_Shit, Tommy, are you okay?" the pink ranger asked worriedly. She bit her lip anxiously._

"_No," he groaned. "I think you broke my back, Kim."_

_Her eyes widened. "Are you serious? Tommy, I thought you said you'd done this a million times? Now you're telling me your back is broken?"_

_Tommy watched her pace frantically as she ranted, and he couldn't stop the laugh that erupted from his throat._

_Kim shot him an accusatory glare. "You asshole. That wasn't funny!"_

"_I don't know. Seemed quite humorous from down here."_

_She moved to kick him in the ribs but he was too quick for her, grabbing onto her ankle tightly and causing her to lose her balance. She fell in a heap on top of him._

"_Damn, that one really fucking hurt," he wheezed. "But it was so worth it."_

_Kim pushed herself up with her hands, hair falling into her face. "Jerk. I don't know why I bother with you sometimes."_

_Tommy bit his lip as he stared up at her, hand pushing her hair behind her ear._

"_Because of how you feel about me."_

_The air around them grew heavy with Tommy's admission. It was the first time either of them had ever spoken about what was growing between them aloud._

_Kim swallowed nervously. "Tommy… I – "_

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Ba-beep. Beep._

_She let out a frustrated sigh before climbing to her feet. Tommy let out a groan as he covered his face with his arms._

"_I have to go," she said, tone apologetic. "I have – "_

"_I know, I know. Something with the others. I know the drill by now." _

_He couldn't hide the bitterness in his voice. It annoyed him that they all had these not-so-secret meetings with each other all the time and constantly excluded him._

"_Hey," she said softly while nudging him with her foot. "We're going to finish this conversation, okay?"_

_Tommy nodded, and she gave a soft smile in return. He watched her run off towards the Youth Center with a longing expression._

Tom scowled with disgust. **"Stop it."**

Tommy turned to see Tom glaring down at him angrily. "What?"

"**Stop thinking about her. Isn't that what got you into this mess in the first place?"**

The green ranger stood up from the rock with a scowl. "Hey, you know what? Fuck you, man."

Tom rolled his eyes. **"No, fuck you. You're here moping around over some damn girl when you should be thinking about yourself. This is good news."**

The green ranger shifted uncomfortably under the older man's gaze.

"**The pink ranger is dead. That baby she was carrying is gone. Get over it. Death happens in battle – you should know that better than anyone given how many people you've killed. Why does it suddenly matter to you now?"**

Tommy could see T watching them with an anxious expression, as if he were waiting for something to happen.

"I-I don't know." T's loud groan could be heard clearly, even from a distance.

"**You don't know," **Tom repeated irritably. **"Well then let's talk about what you **_**do**_** know, hmm? You know that Rygog has effectively taken over your role in this invasion. You know that you basically handed it over to him on a silver platter because you decided to throw a temper tantrum at not getting your way. You know that the emperor wanted you dead because you decided to be an embarrassment not only to him but to the entire empire."**

Tommy flinched as Tom moved closer to him, green eyes blazing.

"**You know that Scorpina saved your life because you were too goddamn stupid to do it yourself. And now what? You're on probation, relegated to the rank of a mere **_**soldier**_**, all because you couldn't handle something that was going to happen anyway."**

The green ranger blinked rapidly against the sting in his eyes.

"**You aren't able to see it now, but Rygog unknowingly did you a favor. Emotional attachments make you weak, careless. He got rid of those for you."** Tom smiled, though to Tommy it looked menacing. **"The bastard doesn't even realize it, but he's made you stronger by allowing you to focus on what needs to be done."**

Tom placed a hand on the green ranger's shoulder. **"That mess about the baby is over now – Rygog got rid of your mistakes. The path is clear for you to take what is yours. Embrace it."**

Tommy stared at Tom for several seconds, unable to allow himself to feed off the encouragement the older man was trying to give him. His stomach was in knots, and his head was throbbing with pain. Nothing felt right.

"I need to be alone," he said lowly, shrugging off Tom's hand before he walked away.

The green ranger headed deeper into the park, walking aimlessly as his thoughts ran wild in his mind.

Kim was dead. His baby was dead. His parents were dead.

For a moment, Tommy was relieved to be unable to feel any guilt. He was sure that if he could, there would be no escape from the drowning pain he'd feel.

Too bad it didn't stop him from knowing he was still to blame.

Tommy blinked out of his haze when he realized he was at _their _spot, the place they used to go to talk whenever things were bothering them.

He rested his back against the nearby tree, sliding down its trunk until he was sitting on the ground. He had never felt so…_lost_ before.

What the _hell _was he supposed to do now?

He kicked at the large rock next to him in frustration, forcing it to roll over several times before coming to a stop.

The green ranger's face scrunched in confusion when he noticed the white piece of paper partially buried in the dirt where the rock used to be.

Curiously, he crawled over, pulling the paper out of the ground and knocking off the clumps of dirt. His eyes widened as he read the familiar scrawl.

_SCML East 24_

It was _Kimberly's_ handwriting.

They had agreed at the start of the invasion to use the rock as a way to send messages to each other, but Kim had never seemed responsive to the idea.

Until now apparently.

The green ranger climbed to his feet as he stared at her note. _'She tried to contact me, but I wasn't here. What if she wanted my help?'_

The thought made him feel sick.

"What the hell is SCML East 24?" he wondered aloud. "What were you trying to tell me, Kim?"

'_Not that it matters,'_ he thought morosely. _'She's dead.'_

Still, his eyes remained fixed on the letters, trying to understand their hidden meaning.

"SCML…S-C-M-L… It has to be something I know, otherwise she wouldn't…"

He gasped in realization. _'Could it?'_

Tommy shoved the note into his pocket before leaving in a flash of green light.

* * *

**Stone Canyon Mountain Lodge**

**East Side, Cabin #24**

**7:14 PM**

The paper with Kim's message was squished between his fingers; he didn't even realize he was clenching his fist until the biting sting of his nails finally registered. Tommy eyed the cabin warily. It didn't appear to be damaged or anything.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Tommy knocked steadily on the wooden door, pale hand shaking slightly. Every second that passed caused his heart to beat faster, and he swallowed thickly before knocking again, harder this time.

And he was still met with no response.

The slip of paper in his hand was fisted tightly as Tommy felt a wave of nausea hit him, back now turned to the door. She wasn't there. The teen ran a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose hard to ward off the images of a blooded and broken Kimberly, the one that haunted his dreams these last few weeks. He closed his eyes to dampen the pounding in his head.

'_The report said very clearly she was killed in battle. Why I even doubted it to be –'_

"Can I help you?" asked a soft voice.

Brown eyes snapped open in shock and the green ranger suddenly found it quite difficult to breathe.

"Look, if you don't answer me, I'm going to call the cops…"

He let out a strangled laugh before turning to look at her.

"Kim...I thought you were…" He couldn't finish his sentence.

Doe eyes widened almost comically through the cracked door.

"Tommy?" she breathed.

He smiled ruefully.

All the time he spent thinking about her couldn't prepare him for the moment he saw her. And now that she was in front of him, he didn't know what to do.

What exactly was the correct thing to do when you saw someone you thought was dead but turned out to be alive? A hug? A handshake?

Kimberly's mouth opened and closed several times before snapping shut. She closed the door with a soft click, removing the latch quickly before opening the door all the way.

"Kim, I thought you – _whoa!_"

Now it was Tommy's turn to gape as he took in her form. She was still petite, wearing sweatpants and a worn t-shirt beneath an old AGHS varsity cheerleading jacket. Her hair was longer, down to the middle of her back and with blonde streaks. She looked almost like she did before he left.

He was just having a hard time figuring out what happened to her stomach. _'What the fuck?'_

She watched him guardedly, eyes travelling to the paper in his hands before her eyes softened. Wordlessly, she moved out of the doorway. Tommy walked inside, shrugging off his camouflage jacket and hanging it up on the nearby coat rack as she shut the door behind him softly. He turned to her with still wide eyes.

"Kim, you – _shit!_"

She was on him in an instant, hands connecting to any part of him that was unprotected as she proceeded to beat the shit out of him. It wasn't so much that the blows hurt as it was that so many were coming so quickly. A hard smack to the side of his head caused Tommy to bite his tongue and he shouted in pain, reaching out blindly to grab her flailing hands. He carefully pinned her against the wall, mindful of her protruding stomach. Kim kicked at his shin in frustration, causing both of them to wince in pain when her foot connected with bone.

"Dammit, will you _stop_?" he yelled. "You're going to hurt yourself." He put some distance between their bodies. "And why are you hitting me?"

"I'm hitting you because you're a piece of shit." Tommy dodged another half-hearted kick at his legs. "First you knock me up and then you abandon me…not like you were ever really there in the first place."

He ignored her biting remark, willing to take the verbal abuse so long as she was alive to dish it out.

"I didn't abandon you – I came right back. I didn't know you'd be…" He paused, hands waving at her form. "What the hell _happened_ to you?"

She glared, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her face. "What do you _mean_ what happened to me? Did you fail biology along with future parenting?"

He furrowed his brow. "I leave for three weeks and you look like you ate a basketball. Why are you so…_you know_? Does it have something to do with your powers? Did it accelerate the pregnancy?" His throat tightened. "Is the baby okay?"

It was Kimberly's turn to look confused. "Three weeks? Tommy, you've been gone for three _months_."

His blood ran cold at that revelation, and he released her instantly. "No," he said slowly. "I was gone for three _weeks_, Kim. I left three weeks ago from Earth to negotiate with the leaders of KAX."

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm five months pregnant, Tommy. I was a little over two months when you left." She gestured to her stomach. "The proof's right here."

Tommy blinked rapidly as shock overcame him, the elation of finding her alive fading at the news of how long he'd been gone.

"That's not…Kim…"

She eyed him as he clumsily made his way to the nearby loveseat, falling heavily into the cushions. Kim rested her hands on her lower back as she waddled to the sofa, lowering herself easily.

An uncomfortable silence hung between them. "Was that your first time going into space for a mission?"

Tommy stared blankly at the wall across from him. "Yeah."

She watched him for several seconds before sighing heavily. "I thought Lord Zedd would have reminded you that time passes differently on other planets." She smiled wistfully. "First time I went to Neptune, I freaked out when I realized I missed three days back here."

Tommy only grunted in response before licking his lips. "Kim, this probably means nothing to you, but I hope you know I wouldn't have gone if I knew it would be this long."

The pink ranger maintained eye contact for a beat before laughing softly. "You're right…it means nothing to me."

The sinking feeling in Tommy's chest doubled, and he took a shallow breath to control the feeling. He pressed his fingers into the sides of his head as he tried to manage his thoughts. He was vaguely aware of Kimberly getting off of the couch, feet barely making a sound as she walked around the cabin.

"I see you cut your hair," she mentioned softly. "Thought you were in love with it or whatever."

"Zedd's orders," he murmured, hand running over his hair self-consciously. "The KAX Union and the negotiations…" Tommy trailed off. "I can't – _don't_ wanna talk about that right now."

More shuffling in the distance hit his ears, and Tommy gritted his teeth against the pain in his chest and head. He felt like he was drowning.

A tap on his shoulder broke his concentration, and he found a glass of water and two Aleve tablets in front of him. He took them with a weak smile.

"You look like you're going to throw up," she offered. "Don't want you doing it all over my furniture."

He shoved the capsules into his mouth, grimacing against the chalky taste before gulping down the water greedily. He coughed slightly when some of it went down the wrong pipe, slamming the glass onto the coffee table.

"Slow down," she warned. "You're going to make yourself sick."

Tommy ignored her; he doubted he could feel worse than he did now.

"What happened?" he rasped.

At her questioning glance, he gestured around him. "Why are you here? Alone? I was told you were dead."

Kim's eyes narrowed. "You really don't know anything, do you?" He shook his head.

The pink ranger took a deep breath. "Fun fact about morning sickness? It should really be called 'all day sickness.' A few days after you left, I kept getting sick during battle. The smell of blood and sweat and those disgusting aliens from your army were making my _situation_ more apparent. I passed it off as a stomach bug in order to keep Billy from investigating." She looked down at her hands. "I managed to keep it hidden until I fainted during one of the battles. Lisbon. I woke up in the Command Center hooked up to all those machines. I didn't even have to ask – I could tell everyone knew from the looks on their faces."

From the pained expression on her face, Tommy could tell who she was thinking of as she recalled that memory.

Jason. _'Of course.'_

"I was taken off-duty immediately, out of fear of harming the baby. They moved me to this safe house so I was kept off of Rygog's radar. They faked my death in Nairobi so I could be moved in secret. I wasn't showing at the time." She gave a sad smile. "It was Jason's idea to put me in his uncle's cabin. A hospital's right up the road that I can go to when the baby comes, and Billy set it up so that I can travel to and from the Command Center if I need to without endangering the baby from teleporting." She licked her lips nervously. "No one knows where I am except the rangers, Zordon and Alpha 5."

"And me," corrected Tommy. "All of them and me." Kimberly looked away.

"Do they know the baby is mine?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "No one except my team knows. The others…" She bit her lip.

"What?"

Kim cleared her throat. "Jason told them the baby is his."

The silence in the room was deafening, and the heaviness Tommy felt before was back in full force. "He did _what_?"

The pink ranger glared. "It's not like I can just announce that one of the enemy's top generals is the father of my child, Tommy. Jason did it to protect me, to protect my son from the backlash of having you as his father."

The unnatural weight in the green ranger's chest was fighting against unexpected warmth that came from Kimberly's words. "Son?" he repeated hoarsely.

Kim gave a small smile. "Yeah. I got an ultrasound done a few weeks ago. It's a boy."

Conflicting emotions arose in the green ranger at the admission. Part of him was sort of excited and even a little proud at the thought of having a son. But a larger part of him was absolutely terrified. Between Scorpina's heartfelt 'Your child is fucked' chitchat back on Serpentera and the disturbing nightmares, the idea of fatherhood was making him increasingly anxious.

Tommy pressed the heel of his hand against his temple. "And you've been okay here?"

She nodded. "Gets boring after a while, but I understand it's for the best. After the attack happened, I – " Tommy blanched. "What?" she asked.

"When did it happen?"

"About two weeks ago…why?"

Tommy ran his hands over his face, a choked laugh rising from his throat. "Before I came here, I went to Angel Grove. I wanted to check on my mother. Not to visit or anything but I just…I needed to _see _her."

"How is she?"

Tommy could feel the bile rise in his throat as he thought back to when he found her; her necklace felt like lead in his pocket.

He swallowed thickly. "She's dead."

He could feel the weight of her stare and hear the unspoken words.

_This is all your fault_.

He could see a question dancing in her eyes, like she wanted to ask if he was okay, but it disappeared. "Billy's father was killed," she told him after a long pause. "Gunned down in his living room. They weren't able to get to him in time."

That hollow feeling in Tommy's chest threatened to consume him.

"It's not healthy how he burns himself out every day in the lab, but I think it's his way of dealing," she continued, eyes sad. "The guilt is killing him."

Her glare was now angry, and Tommy could feel the accusation heavy in the air. _You did this._

"Just say it," he said, partly in annoyance but mostly out of anxiety. "You've been holding back this entire time – I know you have something to say."

Her eyes flashed in annoyance before her focus shifted to her fingernails, idly picking at them. "The things I want to say to you could fill _so_ many books," she hissed. "But what I've realized since you've been gone is that being angry at you solves nothing. You're never going to change and stressing myself out over what you do or don't do isn't good for the baby."

His head began to throb. "So that's it? You're writing me off just like that?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you kidding me right now? Tommy…" Kim pressed a hand to her forehead. "You've done almost nothing for me and our son. Hell, Jason has stepped up and claimed the child of the person I cheated on him with to protect us. You haven't given me a single reason to allow you into our lives." She rolled her eyes. "Three months have obviously done nothing for your inability to see beyond yourself."

Tommy's nostrils flared. "You think this is easy for me?"

She shrugged. "Seems like it. You're off having adventures in other galaxies, blowing people up and making only God knows what kind of deals with the scum of the universe. Meanwhile, I'm here, removed from duty because I made the mistake of sleeping with you and getting pregnant. I'm trapped in this fucking cabin while you get to murder, steal and terrify innocent people. Forgive me for thinking you got the better end of the – "

"Shut up," he hissed, cutting her off.

"Excuse me?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"I get it was hard for you, okay, but you have _no_ idea what I'm going through, Kim." He pressed his hands against the sides of his head. "The whole time I was out there – I was losing my mind."

'_**Literally,'**_ T chimed in.

"I was away from home, paranoid as fuck about Rygog taking over. I couldn't protect you or the baby or my mom anymore because I was gone. I had the weight of the whole fucking Dark Empire on my shoulders with those negotiations. And at the same time I was expected to handle KO-35 which was going to Hell in a handbasket." He sighed heavily. "Not to mention the run in with Karone – "

"What?" Kim interrupted. "Who's – "

"And don't even get me started on the nonstop shit show in my head. Fucking T and Tom and their mind games about the future and dying and _Christmas_…little shits th – "

"Tommy!" she shouted, breaking his stream of consciousness. "I don't know who these people are or what you're talking about."

He blinked hard, licking his lips as he moved to take a seat across from her on the coffee table, their legs brushing together. "Look, when I was out there – and I know you're going to think I'm full of shit – but something happened to me."

"Oh God, I hope you're not going to tell me you were probed…" she said warily.

He glared before continuing. "Something's happening to me – I don't know how to explain it or really understand it all myself, but it's happening to me. And ever since it started, I've only been able to think about you."

There was a pregnant pause before Kimberly let out a loud snort, covering her mouth with her hand as her shoulders shook. "Do you seriously expect me to believe that?"

"It's the truth," he insisted. "I mean…yeah, I also had the negotiations with the KAX Union and the whole KO-35 thing going on …"

"Of course you did," she interjected dryly.

"But you were always on my mind. You and the baby."

"Really?" she asked, voice dripping with sarcasm. "And what exactly were you thinking about, Tommy?"

"I was thinking…" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I was thinking about how upset I would be if anything happened to you or our child."

An unreadable expression crossed her face then. "And why would you be upset about that? Before you left, it seemed like we were nothing more than inconveniences to you; roadblocks in your little quest to be Zeddy's number one lapdog. Why do we matter now?"

Tommy didn't know how to answer that question, but he could hear the words from the revealing conversation in Scorpina's quarters ringing in his ears.

_I'm not in love with her…_

_I never said you were…_

"You've always mattered."

Kim shook her head, laughing mirthlessly. "So you leave Earth a complete jackass, and what? Three weeks on KAX has given you some food for thought? After some mysterious process that you can't explain and don't understand happened to you?" She eyed him. "Are you sure you weren't probed?"

"Kim…"

She held up her hands. "I'm sorry, I'm just finding this a little _un_believable. Scratch that, a lot."

Tommy sighed heavily as he tiredly ran his hands over his face. He should've known it was pointless trying to talk to her about this.

"Oh god, what the hell happened to your hands?"

The green ranger's face was a mask of confusion at both the sudden change in subject and the horrified tone in the pink ranger's voice. He checked his hands, grimacing at the torn, bloodied skin there.

"Got into a fight."

She raised an eyebrow. "With a brick wall?"

"With Rygog." Tommy rubbed at his knuckles. "You should see how _he _looks."

"I can imagine Zedd didn't take too kindly to you attacking one of your own," she murmured, eyes filled with what looked like concern.

"You would be correct. Apparently, I hurt him bad enough to warrant being put on probation."

Kim watched him curiously. "Why'd you attack him?"

"I had just found out about my parents' deaths." The green ranger looked away. "I didn't take it well."

Their eyes connected, and for a moment, Tommy could have sworn he saw sympathy in her brown eyes before she shifted her gaze.

"Kim, look, I came here to – "

"You should leave," she said suddenly as she rose to her feet. "Billy and Trini will be stopping by soon to check on me. The last thing they need is to find you here."

The green ranger watched her walk past him. "Can I see you again?"

He wasn't even sure why he asked her that.

"We both know that's not a good idea, but I can't really stop you, can I?"

"It's interesting you feel that way since _you're_ the one that let me know where to find you," he countered.

She glared at him as she headed to the back of the cabin, not bothering to respond to his statement.

"Make sure you don't teleport until you're a good distance away from here. I don't want them knowing I'm alive or my location," she called out to him from what Tommy believed to be the master bedroom.

"Yeah," he replied. "I guess I'll just…" She slammed the bedroom door. "…walk myself out."

The green ranger shrugged on his jacket as he headed for the door. A small part of him couldn't help hoping Kim would come back out to see him before he left the cabin for good.

She didn't.

* * *

_There are two more chapters left of this part of the trilogy. I know Tommy and Kim's relationship frustrates people, but I love it. :)_

_I will say this... a conversation will be happening between those two that is both long overdue and will shed some light on their relationship, both past and present, and explains many of their actions in part I and II of the trilogy. Despite their arguments, Tommy and Kimberly can still talk and care about each other, even though they really don't want to._

_All will be revealed by the end of this part of the trilogy_


End file.
